Although service has always stood alongside teaching and research as a key element of scholarship, it is rarely documented to the same extent as the other two. At Portland State University in Oregon, faculty have begun to employ a combination of methods to document their service activities with the same credibility as they document teaching and research. Their documentation activities include: writing a statement of purpose connecting their work to their area of expertise; keeping journals of their activities; distributing newsletters that discuss their service work; surveying community members for feedback; and assembling evidence of impact from third-party observers of their work.
