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Programs in the Spotlight

University of Saint Mary VISTAs Apply for the Presidential Honor Roll

In late August 2006, the AmeriCorps*VISTAs at the University of Saint Mary applied for the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which is sponsored in part by Campus Compact and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Recipients of this award will be announced at the 2006 National Campus Compact Gala in Chicago. Good luck USM!

Presidential Honor Roll
USM Program Descriptions
USM Hurricane Katrina Response
Overview of AmeriCorps*VISTA at USM

Program Descriptions

Into the Streets

The University of Saint Mary believes in the importance of community and service both on campus and off. In an effort to connect first-year students with each other and their new community, each fall incoming USM freshmen are required to participate in the "Into the Streets" service project as a part of orientation week. Students are presented with an introduction to service and service-learning; they then work in cohorts at several local service agencies and schools to provide a variety of needed services. Some of the work done for “Into the Streets” in the past has included mentoring younger students during their first day of middle school, working on housing for Habitat for Humanity, assisting the Red Cross, packaging school supplies for Catholic Community Services, helping with maintenance at a shelter for the abused, doing yard work for the Leavenworth Assistance Center, painting murals at the Youth Achievement Center, cleaning up a playground, and making blankets at Leavenworth Hospice. The service projects are followed by a session in which students reflect, both in small groups and as a whole, on the service and what they have gained from it. In addition, students who choose to write a reflection paper on the experience may then use the project to complete one of the requirements of the ED100: Introduction to College course.

Alternative Breaks

The University offers five Alternative Break service opportunities, including one international trip. Students travel through Missouri in the fall to assist three agencies in a low-income neighborhood in St. Louis. At Kingdom House, students tutor elementary students; they also prepare and served lunch to homeless men at Karen House, run by the Catholic Workers program. In addition, they work to prepare apartments for Places for Fathers (a program for non-custodial fathers who need a place where they can visit with their children). During Winter Break, students visit Colorado for an immersion experience that allows them to live for a week in northwest Denver and serve with three organizations, the Mount Saint Vincent Home ( a residential center for children with emotional and behavioral problems), Annunciation School, (an inner-city elementary school) and the Humanitarian Center for Workers (a workers’ program for immigrant day laborers). During Spring Break, students choose between flying to a rural area in Guatemala where they help to construct a community center, or traveling by van to Appalachia to work in groups with students from other universities building new homes or renovating substandard housing. For the first time this summer, students visited New Orleans, where they spent a week cleaning up debris and deconstructing homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Another trip focused on Katrina relief is being planned for the upcoming Winter Break. Two of these alternative break experiences have been offered as part of Theology courses—students who went to Denver had the option of enrolling for credit in “Soul of the City;” while those involved in the New Orleans trip could chose to earn credit for “God, Faith, and Natural Disaster.”

Local Service Agencies

Business management students at USM put what they learn in the classroom to real-world purposes by assisting local service agencies. Members of the Production and Operations Management class have helped to improve operations at the Alliance Against Family Violence by upgrading the physical layout and organization of the food pantry and the clothing room as well as creating a computerized system of inventory for the agency. The University is now sponsoring a VISTA member at the Alliance, who will not only assist the agency with day-to-day operations but also help to coordinate two upcoming service-learning projects at the site. Consumer Behavior and Marketing Research classes have partnered with the Leavenworth Community Library in efforts to aid the library with strategic planning. During the past two semesters, students made formal observations of the library environment and operations, did a SWOT analysis, and conducted surveys of patrons concerning their use of the library; at the conclusion of the project, each class presented formal documents with recommendations to the library—many of which have since been implemented. In addition, the Principles of Marketing and International Business classes collaborated in designing an International Games Day for students from a local elementary school.

Psychology of Aging

Psychology students in Aging: Issues and Perspectives and Health Psychology partnered with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Motherhouse and the adjacent nursing home, Ross Hall, to enrich the lives of residents in both. Every year, students in Psychology of Aging are paired with elderly Sisters of Charity in the Motherhouse during an initial large-group meeting; each pair then spends time over the semester getting to know one another. Through the conversations and relationships that ensue, students gain an understanding of the realities of growing old, while the Sisters enjoy the friendship, companionship, and enthusiasm of their much-younger companions. The instructor, Dr. Nancy King, reports that this type of intergenerational service-learning helps to destroy stereotypes students may have about getting older and increases their curiosity about the topic of aging. In fact, during this year’s final class meeting, held as a reflection session and celebration for everyone involved, several students reported that the class was a life-changing experience that broadened their perspectives on a variety of issues. In addition, this year’s Psychology of Health class, after researching the health benefits of laughter, designed a “Jollyology Unit” (more commonly known as a laughter lounge) for patients at St. John Hospital. They then modified the design to create a mobile “laughter cart” for bedridden and wheelchair-bound residents of Ross Hall.

Patient Visitor

Connecting abstract concepts to real world situations is always a challenge in higher education—USM professor Brian Hughes has helped to bridge that gap through service-learning for students in Introduction to the Bible. Each year, students are required to complete twenty hours of individual service at one of five community sites. At St. John Hospital, students have launched the new “Patient Visitor” program—in addition to providing companionship, they do simple errands and chores that improve the comfort and satisfaction of seriously ill patients. At Ross Hall, students assist with recreational therapy for wheelchair-bound residents and serve as weekly companions for the elderly. Students also have the option of helping to serve meals to the homeless and others at the Leavenworth Baptist Church, or work in the church’s food pantry. In addition, this year students may choose to serve as mentors and reading buddies for children with serious emotional problems at New Beginnings (a special education school) or at Anthony Elementary School. Each week, students write a formal paper in which they reflect on and connect the Bible passages and concepts they are studying in class to the service experience. Students in both schools gain university-level mentors and tutors, while University students gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of concepts in Christian theology.

Hurricane Katrina Response

Assistance to Displaced Students

One of the first hurricane relief initiatives undertaken by the University of Saint Mary was the offer of free tuition, room, and board for university students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Acting quickly in the wake of the events of August 2005, the President and Academic Vice President met with key members of the university to gain approval and support for this initiative. The University worked with several local agencies (including the American Red Cross and Catholic Community Services) to get word of the offer out to those in the Gulf Coast; the Marketing Department also publicized the offer in the media and on the university’s website. In addition, USM providing assistance in contacting and locating the students’missing loved ones.

Fundraisers and Drives

The University of Saint Mary held several fundraisers and drives shortly after Hurricane Katrina. One of the most successful was the Student Government Association’s fundraising competition between undergraduate classes. The university also held a clothing and food drive; items donated were then given to Catholic Charities, which distributed them to the Gulf Coast areas in greatest need.

New Orleans Alternative Break

The University of Saint Mary made a direct impact on four families impacted by the Katrina disaster during the New Orleans Alternative Break, held immediately following the conclusion of the 2006 Spring Semester. The trip had a wide appeal at the University of Saint Mary and included five staff members from three departments, five freshmen, three sophomores, five juniors, and two seniors, making this the largest Alternative Break in the university’s history. The trip had institutional support, and the group itself raised at least $1500 to help offset the costs of the trip. While in New Orleans, students and staff completed the deconstruction process at four homes, working in conjunction with Catholic Charities. This worki allowed each home owner to begin the process of rebuilding. In addition to the work of deconstruction, the group toured New Orleans and was able to see the devastation in all areas of the city, including the lower 9th Ward. As part of nightly reflection sessions, students heard the stories of many affected by Hurricane Katina, including evacuees, homeowners, students, a member of the National Guard stationed in the Superdome, and a resident who sought refuge in the Superdome after the storm; these sessions were designed to assist students in putting the trip and service into context. This Alternative Break was coordinated by an AmeriCorps*VISTA member from the Service-Learning Center; several students in an AmeriCorps National program, the M3C Fellows, also participated.

Creation of Service-Learning Course

The New Orleans Alternative Break provided a unique opportunity for the creation of a service-learning Theology course called “God, Faith and Natural Disaster.” In addition to participating fully in the trip, class members were asked to chose and focus on an aspect of New Orleans related to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, and they selected such diverse issues as city planning, class and race, global warming, and long-term recovery. The students conducted research and then addressed these topics through a formal paper in which they examined theological issues such as the appropriate response of people of faith to the need for change in New Orleans. Students enrolled in the class will also host a public forum at the University on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. At this forum, these students will present their findings and then lead a discussion related to Katrina. Credit in this course will be issued for the Fall, 2006 semester.

Comprehensive Overview of AmeriCorps*VISTA at the University of Saint Mary

In 2003, The University of Saint Mary first began its commitment to service-learning when President Steele joined sixteen other university and college presidents in signing the Kansas Campus Compact. Sharon and Tony Albers, a retired couple from San Diego volunteering at the University, were the first to lay groundwork for Service-Learning at this institution during Spring Semester, 2004. They also helped to facilitate two early service projects, including one called “The Music of Your Life.” in which Dr. William Krusemark and the Concert Chorale partnered with the Leavenworth Council on Aging.

The University received its first VISTA member, Carroll Courchene, through Kansas Campus Compact in August of 2004, and she began work at the Leavenworth campus in early September of that year. Initially she focused on meeting with and surveying agencies and schools throughout the local community to determine what their needs were and to compile a list of potential community partners. She then began to work with faculty to assist with developing service-learning courses.

At the beginning of October, this VISTA worked with the University to establish the Service-Learning Office, which has recently expanded to two offices and has now become the Service-Learning Center. Another Campus Compact VISTA, Sara Denny, joined her in November of 2004. They subsequently worked together to plan and develop the service-learning program at USM and to facilitate academic service-learning classes, alternative breaks, and other community service projects.

The response to the efforts of VISTA members at the university and in the community (as measured by evaluation) has been overwhelmingly positive, in part because the mission of USM coincides with the objectives of Academic Service-Learning and because the administration has actively supported their efforts. During the past two years, over one-fourth of full-time faculty members have tried this method of teaching and learning in one or more of their classes, and several have continued to implement service-learning in those courses. Community partners have not only provided sites for service but have in some cases become enthusiastic co-educators of USM students.

In the 2004-2005 academic year, nearly 400 student participants and 35 faculty and staff worked with 32 community partners through Service-Learning classes and community service projects to provide over 3,235 hours of service to the community of Leavenworth. Although the number of student participants did not increase significantly during the 2005-2006 academic year, the number of service hours provided and faculty/staff participants did. Students in fourteen service-learning classes, five alternative breaks, and several co-curricular community service projects joined in providing 6,794 hours of service to the local community as well as to communities in Kansas City, Kentucky, St. Louis, Guatemala, Denver, and New Orleans. A total of forty-two faculty and staff members directed and/or participated in these projects.

Agencies and schools in the communities of Leavenworth and Lansing have been most receptive to forming service-learning partnerships with the University. The response was almost overwhelming for such a small institution; there was no way our university could respond to all of the requests we received from the community. We therefore learned to focus on developing close relationships with those agencies that offered the greatest opportunities for learning and growth for our students.

One of the most active and supportive service organizations in Leavenworth, the Alliance Against Family Violence, has hosted two service-learning business classes and is currently the site for classes in Psychology and Theology. In addition, a Campus Compact VISTA affiliated with USM is now serving at the agency. The AAFV outreach coordinator, Sister Jane Albert Mehrens, is a current member of the USM Service-Learning Advisory Board. Gloria Owens, another member of the Advisory Board and Director of Catholic Community Services, is also a strong supporter of our program. Among others, ongoing community/university service-learning partnerships include the Leavenworth Public Library, New Beginnings (a special education school), the VA Medical Center, St. John Hospital, Ross Hall, The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Motherhouse, the Leavenworth Assistance Center, Anthony Elementary School, the Richard Allen Cultural Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Leavenworth Parks and Recreation, Habitat for Humanity, and Leavenworth Hospice.

VISTA members at USM have worked diligently to develop a program that is not only successful but also sustainable. In just two years, the University has integrated the service-learning pedagogy into its academic programs and has already taken steps to institutionalize Service-Learning and thus assure its sustainability. The administration has supported and encouraged VISTA members and the sustainability of their work at the Leavenworth campus by taking the following actions:

agreeing to the establishment of the Service-Learning Center
providing space and a budget for its offices
appointing a VISTA Service-Learning Specialist to the Academic Leadership Council
including the Service-Learning Program in the course catalog
issuing a service-learning course designation
adopting an official service transcript, and
agreeing to the creation of the Service-Learning Advisory Board.

In addition, the Academic Vice President attends bi-weekly meetings with the VISTAs and their supervisor.

In order to promote sustainability of the service-learning program, VISTAs have created and operate the Service-Learning Center, from which service-learning courses, community service, and alternative break service trips are coordinated. They have participated in the development of the official service transcript, which will be in place by the spring of 2007. They have created and issue a quarterly newsletter, InSpire, highlighting service-learning courses and service projects as well as the contributions of outstanding faculty, students, and community partners. The newsletter is distributed to all faculty, staff, students, and community partners; copies are also provided to the Board of Trustees of the University and to key alumni.

VISTAs at USM have established a service-learning fair that has been and will continue to be held each spring, during which faculty, staff, students, and community partners come together to celebrate what has been achieved in learning through service during the academic year. They also facilitate the formal evaluation of service-learning course projects by instructors, students, and community partners; the results are used for program improvement and future planning. In addition, the senior VISTA member chairs the Service-Learning Advisory Board, which was established to advise and support the Service-Learning Center.

At this time, the future of service-learning at USM looks bright—the greatest obstacle to sustainability at this institution is financial. Although discussion is underway, It is still unclear how the Center will be staffed once the last VISTA member leaves, and it is unlikely that the University will hire a full-time Service-Learning Director due to budget constraints. However, the Academic Vice President has mentioned the possibility of a novice Sister of Charity coordinating the program along with the help of a graduate assistant. In addition, the University has already committed a work study student to the Center for the current year. All other indicators of sustainability are positive.

Kansas Campus Compact

Educating Citizens. Building Communities.