All incoming undergraduate students in the Day Program will complete one service learning course experience as part of their graduation requirements.  This experience must be embedded in a course and also must include a reflection component as an important part of the experience.

The Service Learning experience needs to be of adequate duration and quality so that the student providing service can reflect upon it meaningfully and experience some growth, insight, or learning. A student's reflection essay must be placed in the e-Portfolio. The service experience best involves an off-campus experience or an experience that stretches the individual and moves her beyond her immediate experience and familiar environment.

At a minimum, all service learning courses must meet the following criteria.
The course:

• is discipline based and a part of the existing curriculum,
  
  
• contains a set of organized community-based learning activities through which students have direct , hands-on learning activities that directly respond to community needs,
  
  
• provides structured opportunities for students to connect their service activities to course content through reflection,
  
  
• requires a minimum of 15 hours at the service learning site and a required written reflection assignment. The reflection journal must be placed in the e-Portfolio.

These courses are departmental courses that are academically based, can stand on their own without the service learning component, and count toward degree requirements. The course content propels the community-based service activities in which students are engaged. The course is offered after receiving the service learning core designation. Instructors of these courses must follow the service learning rubric to evaluate the students' experiences.