Trek's Community component integrates service to the greater community with academic content and personal reflection. Skills development ideals are based on the AAC&U Civic Engagement VALUE Rubric.

Guidance

Faculty may submit a Trek Credit Course Proposal Form for a new or existing course to receive Community credit.

The four required components of a Community course or project are:

1. Attending an official Introductory Session coordinated by a member of the Office of Community and Civic Engagement.
2. Completing thirty (30) clock-hours of experience with an approved partner or program.
3. Attending an official Capstone Meeting coordinated by a member of the Office of Community Engagement.
4. Submitting a completed Community Assessment about the service-learning experience.

 

Assessment

The Trek Community component is assessed indirectly through a review of required student reflections on and evaluations of their experiences, and it is assessed directly by the faculty member or community supervisor.

The faculty member or supervisor will select the three (3) most relevant concepts from the AAC&U VALUE Rubric for Civic Engagement to which each student should respond. Each rubric item has a question or set of questions that have been approved by the Trek Committee:

Diversity of Communities and Cultures
How have your attitudes and beliefs about our broader community and the people within our community changed as a consequence of this service-learning experience? If they've changed, why do you think they did? If they didn't, why not?

Analysis of Knowledge
Describe at least two ways that the knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from this class, your other classes, or your academic major connects to community engagement and participation through serving one's community.

Civic Identity and Commitment
Describe a specific activity, event, or conversation during your service-learning experience that taught you about yourself and the role you could or should play in your community. If you feel that this experience has not had such an effect, why not?

Civic Communication
Describe at least two ways that your service partner could more effectively communicate their services and mission to the community, deliver those services, recruit volunteers to assist their organization, or increase their effectiveness in acquiring funding.

Civic Contexts/Structures
Describe how you will use this experience going forward to work across and within our community to improve things for some (or all) members of our community or to address an ongoing social problem.

Each outcome is scored on the following scale..

0 No Competence 
1 (LEAP benchmark 1) ELEMENTARY  
2 (LEAP milestone 2) DEVELOPMENTAL  
3 (LEAP milestone 3) PROFICIENT  
4 (LEAP Capstone 4) EXEMPLARY  

Curricular Options

These faculty-approved courses satisfy the Community component of the Trek graduation requirement. 

SERVICE LEARNING COURSES (TREK 151) – 0 credit hours 
Course Description: Several departmental courses in the academic catalog satisfy the criteria for Community credit. In these cross-listed courses, a faculty member incorporates a community-based learning component into a departmental course, allowing students the opportunity to apply classroom learning to a need in the surrounding community.   
 
MODULE/IMMERSION COURSES (TREK 151) – 0 credit hours 
Course Description: A variety of short, intensive courses typically offered each May or August explore topics of general or specialized interest not normally offered. These courses sometimes opt to fulfill the Culture or Community requirement of Trek; however, these courses are not required to contain a Trek component. Module/immersion courses may be applied towards the hours required for graduation.  
 
See Faculty Guidance in the Culture section. (LINK TO SECTION) 
 
LEARNING THROUGH COMMUNITY (TREK 153) – 1 credit hour 
Course Description: This course guides students to the opportunities for service that exist in their community, helps students discover and share their own skills, gifts, and talents for service, as well as empowers students to apply their own unique and positive impact on the greater community for social and economic development. Offered each semester. 
 
Course Objectives 
 

1. Students will assess the value of their own skills and abilities for civic and community engagement. 
2. Students will identify their roles within community, recognize what responsibilities members of the community have, and understand the importance of civic engagement for successful communities. 
3. Students will know the importance of service, the opportunities for civic and community engagement, and the values of their larger communities. 
4. Students will reflect critically and personally on how the experience has impacted their worldview and outlook on life. 
    

Independent Projects

INDEPENDENT SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS (TREK 151 IP) – 0 credit hours 
To earn independent credit, students work with a faculty or Trek staff member to submit an Independent Project Proposal Form to the Trek Committee by the corresponding deadline.   
 
Independent proposals should be 3 – 4 pages in length and answer the following questions: 

1. What work will you do with this agency?  
2. What Community needs will your service project address? Who will be helped and how? 
3. How is this work relevant to your academic major and coursework at Centenary? 
4. What are the learning objectives of this service project? 
5. What readings, films, or other academic materials will supplement your service-learning experience?