Student Resources

Getting Started:

• Review your course syllabus or speak to your professor to find out the AS-L requirement for your course (number of hours required, type of service sites recommended, deadlines and reflection assignment).
• If you are taking more than one course with an AS-L component check with both faculty if the same service can be used for both courses, keep in mind two reflection assignments will still be required. 
• Schedule your service at the start of the semester. You must register for service in GivePulse. For more information follow the instructions provided in the GivePulse tab. 
• Serve with your classmates whenever possible. Serving together with a classmate provides an extra layer of comfort and allows you to share a discussion about the experience with someone you know. 
• Be professional. Arrive on time and take initiative. Read the information about the site provided in GivePulse and know what to expect: tasks available, time requirements, dress code etc. 
• Be prepared. Bring the agency phone number and directions with you and always be aware of your surroundings when traveling to and from the site.
• Be observant. Bring a journal with you to jot down your thoughts, ideas, and what you did while you served.
• Be punctual. Treat Academic Service-Learning as a job. Call the site supervisor if you are running late, sick or unable to go to the site when you are scheduled to serve.
• Record all service hours accurately in your time log and in GivePulse. Do not falsify supervisor's signatures or number of hours on the Service Log Sheet.

Per the SJU Student Code of Conduct: “Forgery/Fraud: Forgery, alteration or misuse of University documents, records or identification is prohibited.”

Reflection is the key to making the connection between service and learning and is the graded component of AS-L.

As you participate in AS-L, pay attention to:

• The concrete experience
  - What did you do when you served?

• The affective experience
  - How did serving make you feel?

• The relationship between service and course content and concepts
  - How has serving reinforced what you learned in the classroom?

 Modes of reflection include:

• Group discussions
• Journals
• Papers/presentations
• Electronic forums/portfolios/blogs

The AS-L Essay Contest was established in 1998 to support student achievement. This contest helps us recognize the students who skillfully reflect on their service experience while making a concrete connection to the learning objectives of their course and discuss the larger social justice issues at play. 

Eligibility 

Full-time/Part-time graduate and undergraduate students who have participated in an AS-L service component in one or more of their courses. 

Application Process

Submissions are accepted throughout the spring semester of each academic year.        

Congratulations to our 2021-2022 AS-L Essay Contest Winners!

The Janet E. Mangione endowed scholarship was established in memory of triple alumna Janet E. Mangione, Associate Director of Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) and avid advocate and supporter of Academic Service-Learning at the University.  This endowed scholarship will provide $1,000 tuition scholarship to an undergraduate student who has at least one full semester remaining before graduating from the time the scholarship is awarded in May.  The recipient will be selected based on academic qualifications and need; experience in two or more AS-L courses; and the ability to articulate the impact these AS-L courses have had on their academic career and/or career choices. 

Eligibility 

• Open to undergraduate students, who have at least one full semester left until graduation from when the scholarship is awarded in May 
• Student has had two or more AS-L courses in their education at St. John’s
• GPA of 3.0 or above 
• Financial need

Application Process

Submissions are accepted throughout the spring semester of each academic year. 

Past recipients of the Janet E. Mangione endowed scholarship 

Click here to view an orientation geared to students taking courses online. If you are a student living outside of New York,  ask your professor for a site introduction letter and intake form to help find a site in your area.