Service Learning Guidelines

When student-initiated community service activities are to fulfill curricular requirements (e.g. “count” for pathway non-core hours), they must meet a high standard of quality, accountability and respect for the community served, and align with the pathway-specific objectives.  Therefore, the following requirements have been approved for use across all pathways and are consistent with principles of effective community engagement and service learning pedagogy:

1. Student-led projects or community-engaged scholarly projects (whether faculty, student or community initiated) must be proposed and approved in advance using the Service Learning Project Proposal Form (DOCX)
   • Submission of the completed form including the signed agreement from three individuals: the student, a faculty advisor and a community partner who will jointly oversee the project to ensure relevance to community needs and to the pathway learning objectives.
2. Students participating in a student-led project for pathway non-core credit (but not as a project leader/ co-leader) are held to a similar standard, and are expected to become oriented to the community served, adequately prepare for the service activity, and participate in reflection activities. 
   • Optional tool: Students may wish to use the Service Learning Activity Reflection Form (DOCX) to document participation in a service learning activity for their pathway portfolio.

Research

•  Any project that involves the collection or use of data from human subjects (e.g. surveys, focus groups, clinical data) for the purposes of creating/ generalizing knowledge or disseminating through presentation/ publication must have IRB decision prior to data collection.
• All students and co-investigators must complete CITI training and complete Module 5, Social/Behavioral Research for Other research personnel)
• Faculty advisor must serve as PI for IRB application

Clinical Service/ Screening activities (e.g. Blood pressures, school physicals, vaccinations): 

• Student participants must be properly trained for the tasks they are to perform
• All clinical service must be directly supervised by a licensed practitioner
• Procedures should be clearly outlined in advance (e.g. informed consent, equipment used, process, follow-up of abnormal tests, anticipated emergencies). 
  • Equipment standards: What equipment used?  Maintained by whom? Calibrated when/how/by whom?
  • Follow-up procedures for individuals who screen positive
    • Urgent vs. non-urgent (who, where – include name/contact info of practitioner who will follow-up; notification process)
    • Counseling procedure (who, what info)
    • Documentation process (including data storage and confidentiality)

Health Education (e.g. school-based, health fairs)

• Student educators must be properly trained/ adequately prepared to provide community-based education, including:
  • Orientation to the education/literacy levels and content knowledge of the target audience
  • Background preparation on the topic to be covered
  • Training in culturally and literacy appropriate community education methods
• Materials should be approved by a faculty advisor for appropriateness, relevance, accuracy
• Students may not provide specific medical advice to an individual patient without direct faculty supervision