Our team is available to support you every step of the way to provide you and students the best experience.
The Community Service Learning program benefits all members. For community partners, it
Provides additional human resources
Lets you increase services and accomplish goals you may not otherwise accomplished
Offers you knowledge that students have gained through their university studies
Attracts new, loyal volunteers
Here’s an overview of the steps involved in the CSL program. Our team will support you and answer your questions or concerns throughout the process.
Following an initial meeting with a community partner, the placement officer identifies courses that fit with the placements offered by the organization.
The placement officer reviews the placement description to ensure that it fits with the learning objectives set out by the professor.
The placements are then presented for the professor to review and accept or decline.
At the beginning of each term, the placement officer conducts a class presentation on the CSL program and CSL placements.
Placement registration begins on a pre-determined date. Students have approximately three days to apply for placements (the placement officer will share these dates with you).
Students are responsible for contacting their community partner supervisor. The supervisor has three days to respond. Through this exchange, a meeting (which can include training) should be set up, during which the supervisor and the student are encouraged to clarify their expectations.
After 30 hours of work during the term, the supervisor reviews and approves the student’s timesheet and completes a brief evaluation of the student’s performance.
Once you’ve agreed to take part in the CSL program and have discussed your needs with a placement officer, you can create your placement offer directly in the Community Engagement Navigator.
Note: If a placement doesn’t fit with any of the courses offered in a particular term, it can be added to the list of placements offered for extracurricular volunteering, with your approval.
Before you submit your placement offer, identify the learning objectives the student must meet. Learning objectives are set for both CSL and extracurricular volunteering placements. Identifying them helps the placement officer match placements with courses, based on what professors have asked that their students learn during their CSL placements.
You can select from the following objectives:
apply learning from a specific field of study
develop critical thinking and analytical skills
identify different approaches to solving problems through a variety of appropriate techniques
develop the ability to communicate orally and/or in writing to a variety of audiences
develop the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team
enhance initiative, accountability and decision-making skills
enhance social awareness and active citizenship
gain research experience
When community partners take on student volunteers under the CSL program, they must sign a Community Partner Agreement and provide proof of general liability insurance. The agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of the participating organization and the University.
