Best Practices

Project Planning

Each co-curricular, service learning, or internship experience should involve a clear, written plan, including academic or co-curricular goals and community outcomes, clarity about the tasks the student(s) will perform and the time investment. See the project planning form.

Pre-Service Training

Each co-curricular, service learning, or internship experience should include pre-service training that includes ethical guidelines for the work, skills needed to do the work, and pre-reflection on expectations and learning outcomes. The faculty member or University of Minnesota, Morris staff person and the partner typically share the work of preparing students for their experiences.

Implementation and Oversight

Each co-curricular, service-learning, or internship experience should involve planned and regular opportunities for students to get feedback from both the faculty/staff person overseeing the University of Minnesota, Morris’s involvement and the community partner.

Reflection

Each co-curricular, service learning, or internship experience should involve guided reflection helping students connect their community work to primary learning outcomes and community engagement goals/outcomes.

Assessment

Each co-curricular, service learning, or internship experience should involve an assessment process that includes assessment of student learning, assessment of community outcomes, and assessment of process.