Getting Started
If there is an Academic Service-Learning component of your
course, you will need to:
- Obtain information about the service sites that have been
reserved for your course from your professor
- Choose the service site where you would like to complete your
AS-L project
Contacting a Community Site
Representative
- Call the contact person listed on the Agency sheet.
- State your name and that you are a St. John’s University AS-L
student. Also give the name of the class for which you are
doing this AS-L component.
- Ask the contact person to schedule a first visit for
you.
- Let the contact person know the number of hours that you can
assist at the site.
- Confirm the service site address and ask for additional
directions if you need them.
- If you are serving in a nursing home or health facility, ask if
you need to bring your medical records to the site. To obtain your
medical records, bring a copy of the
medical release form to the Student Health Services Office in
DaSilva Hall.
The First Visit
- At your first visit, be sure to take with you the
Time Log/Agreement Form.
- Plan a schedule with the site supervisor that attempts to meet
both your needs as well as the agency needs. Remember—this
interview is a professional interivew and you are there to perform
a service.
- Have the site supervisor sign the Time Log/Agreement Form.
At the Site
- You are acting as a representative of St. John’s
University. Please try to be as courteous as possible to the
individuals that you are serving as well as to your fellow
workers.
- Be punctual and reliable in showing up to your AS-L
placement. AS-L should be treated similar to any job.
It is your responsibility to call your site supervisior when you
know that you will be late or absent for a scheduled service
commitment. Remember—people are counting on you!
- Whenever you are in unsure of what is expected of you, ask your
site supervisor for clarification.
- Be sure to keep track of the hours that you work by using the
Time Log/Agreement form. Log your hours daily and ask
your site supervisor to sign each entry.
- All personal information that is revealed to you during your
AS-L project is to be treated with strict confidentiality!
You may discuss client’s personal information with professionals at
your service site, your faculty member or within the confines of
your class. Under no circumstances are any client’s personal
information to be discussed in any other situation.
- Always respect the privacy and dignity of those that you are
serving.
After You Leave for the Day
- We highly recommend that you keep a daily journal of your
activites in order to more fully reflect upon your experiences at
the end of your course. Make entries into your journal as
soon as possible after you have left the community service
site.
At the End of the Course
- Fill out the online Academic Service-Learning Evaluation Form
that will be sent to your St. John's e-mail address. This
instrument is used by the Office of AS-L to assess all aspects of
the program. Since the questionnaire is anonymous, you can
feel free to be completely candid about your experiences.
Your feedback helps to keep the Office of AS-L informed so that we
can respond to student needs.
- Please thank your site supervisor in person or in writing upon
the completion of your AS-L project.
Practical Considerations
- Under no circumstances are students permitted to accept any
type of financial renumeration (salary, stipend, work study award,
etc.) in exchange for their Academic Service-Learning
commitment.
- Never give your phone number or address to anyone but your site
supervisior.
- Never give your personal money, food or medications to the
clients at the service agency.
- Never drive a community service site client in your car.
How Do I Complete the Time Log/Agreement
Form?
- The
Time Log/Agreement Form is a learning contract between you, the
community service site and your faculty member. It is
designed to fully outline the AS-L experience so that all
parties understand and approve the project. It is for this
reason that it is essential that the following steps be followed in
order to ensure your maximum learning experience.
- Before going to the community service site for the first time,
completely fill out the section entitled “Student
Information.”
- Bring the contract to your first visit. Ask the
supervisor to fill out the section entitled, “Agency
Information.”
- Read and sign the Agreement Form. Ask the site supervisor
to read and sign the Agency Supervisor line.
- Bring the contract back to your next class for your faculty
member’s approval of the project. Have your faculty member
sign their section to indicate their final project approval.
- Once you have completed, please return the Time Log/Agreement
Form to your professor.