Since its inception in 1994, the Service-Learning Program at Montclair State University has placed a strong emphasis on faculty development. After an intensive search of the literature, service-learning faculty equipped themselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the program successfully both in the classroom and in the community.

The Service-Learning Program continues to grow. In addition to new service-learning courses and community partnerships, an intensive faculty development program will be introduced: the Service-Learning Faculty Scholars Program. This University-funded faculty development program is designed to develop a new group of scholars who will master the pedagogy and practices of service-learning. They will apply the knowledge and skills gained by teaching a service-learning course. The Program will increase the number and quality of both service-learning courses and service-learning faculty at the University while continuing to meet the needs of the local community in four areas: literacy, aging, drug and alcohol prevention, and the digital divide.

The first cohort of Service-Learning Faculty Scholars will participate in on-campus faculty development workshops and attend task force meetings to learn about local projects and campus-community collaborations. They will create or revise a course to be offered as a service-learning course in the spring 2001. Faculty Scholars also will participate in research activities to assess student learning outcomes and enhance program development.
Faculty Scholars will be selected by current Faculty Scholars according to their commitment to the role of service-learning in the education of students and their interest in the preparation of students for active citizenship. They must demonstrate a willingness to work in collaboration with administrative staff, faculty, students and community partners associated with the Service-Learning Program.

For more information see Montclair’s Service-Learning Program