Academic Service-Learning

Explore courses that have Service Learning built into the curriculum. 

CAR 295 Career Service Learning 

EDU 290 Professionalism and Ethical Engagement with Children, Families and the Community

Visit the course catalog to view full course descriptions.

Service Learning Tools

• Syllabi examples by discipline: List of syllabi with service-learning inclusion by discipline from Campus Compact          
• Campus Compact Toolkit: This Toolkit has four purposes: (1) To add clarity to the meaning and conceptualization of community-engaged scholarship in a research university context; (2) To provide a rationale for why to do it and resources on how to do it well; (3) To provide tools and assistance for faculty at research universities to document engaged scholarship for reward and promotion (i.e., how to get credit for it); and (4) To provide tools and assistance for enabling the assessment of engaged scholarship (i.e., for faculty reward and promotion).
• Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement: an online student journal that promotes student service-learning and civic engagement experiences in metropolitan Chicago. SPACE invites instructors to nominate exemplary student papers for this journal. Our goal is to publish scholarly and reflective writing that enlightens service-learning and civic engagement practitioners and scholars about student experiences that extend beyond the classroom and into communities.
• Service-Learning LibGuide: A listing of Service-learning books and other resources are now available for faculty use. These resources are housed in the five Chicago-area campus libraries. NLU faculty may check them out as two-week reserve items.

Service-Learning Faculty Manual 

Need an introduction to service-learning? Having trouble defining a service-learning project for your class? The Civic Engagement team has compiled this Service-Learning Faculty Manual (under revision) to guide professors of any curriculum to utilize service-learning in their courses:

• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Understanding Service-Learning: History, Pedagogy, Philosophy
• Chapter 2 Service-Learning at National Louis University
• Chapter 3 Planning, Developing and Implementing Service-Learning Projects
• Chapter 4 Service-Learning and Diversity Issues
• Chapter 5 Service-Learning Activities at NLU and beyond
• Appendices

Research, Assessment, and Evaluation

• IssueLab: An archive of open license research on social issues catering to non-profit organizations. IssueLab is a service of Foundation Center. "Foundation Center‘s mission is to connect nonprofits and funders to the knowledge they need to do their jobs better and to deepen the impact of their efforts. Through IssueLab we support ongoing learning and research in the social sector, believing in the power of the sector’s collective intelligence and the importance of open and free access to that intelligence."

Illinois Campus Compact (ILCC)

NLU is a member of Illinois Campus Compact, which is a coalition of 40 Illinois colleges and universities under the Campus Compact umbrella. ILCC supports not only the civic development of students, but the campus as an active and engaged member of its community. Campus Compact is a national organization with representation in 32 states that supports service-learning in higher education. Visit their website at www.compact.org. The Civic Engagement Team frequently hosts workshops and other events as a resource for NLU faculty members. See events page for a list of upcoming events.