Spring Break
Service-learning increasingly popular
Katie White, Contributing Writer, kewhite@smu.edu
Issue date: 5/1/07 Section: News
Bruce Levy is embarrassed to admit that he did not volunteer before becoming a professor. He focused on his personal needs instead of the needs of others. However, after becoming a professor at SMU, he started volunteering as a tutor with the Inter-Community Experience Center (ICE) House.
"I am pretty much self-taught when it comes to service, which is really the only way of doing it," said Levy, an English professor.
Levy spent his Spring Break participating in a bike race to raise money for the ICE House. And while he readily admits that he did not volunteer during his youth, he now realizes the impact that he personally can make in the community.
Many SMU professors volunteer in the community in their personal lives. They, in turn, bring back the experiences they gain to the classroom.
"Throughout the 26 years that I have worked at SMU, I have consistently and personally known a very high number of faculty and staff members who volunteer large amounts of their personal time to many worthwhile causes like Special Olympics, food banks, Alternative Spring Break," said Provost Ad-Interim Tom Tunks, who is actively involved with Sea Scots, an offshoot organization of the Boy Scouts of America.
Tunks is currently in charge of the entire faculty on the SMU campus.
"All I do when I am not in the classroom is serve others," said Dr. Rick Halperin, director of SMU the Human Rights Education Program.
Halperin teaches a class on human rights every semester. Each student has the option to either write a 20-page paper or perform 20 hours of community service.
"Most students choose the service because who wants to write a 20 page paper," said Michelle Wigianto, a former student in Halperin's human rights class.
The service requirement in Halperin's class falls under the service learning model of higher education. Service-learning is a teaching tool that is being embraced by approximately 60 professors on the SMU campus. This program allows students to venture out into the community and volunteer with a particular agency for course credit. This opportunity provides a way for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real-world setting.
"I am pretty much self-taught when it comes to service, which is really the only way of doing it," said Levy, an English professor.
Levy spent his Spring Break participating in a bike race to raise money for the ICE House. And while he readily admits that he did not volunteer during his youth, he now realizes the impact that he personally can make in the community.
Many SMU professors volunteer in the community in their personal lives. They, in turn, bring back the experiences they gain to the classroom.
"Throughout the 26 years that I have worked at SMU, I have consistently and personally known a very high number of faculty and staff members who volunteer large amounts of their personal time to many worthwhile causes like Special Olympics, food banks, Alternative Spring Break," said Provost Ad-Interim Tom Tunks, who is actively involved with Sea Scots, an offshoot organization of the Boy Scouts of America.
Tunks is currently in charge of the entire faculty on the SMU campus.
"All I do when I am not in the classroom is serve others," said Dr. Rick Halperin, director of SMU the Human Rights Education Program.
Halperin teaches a class on human rights every semester. Each student has the option to either write a 20-page paper or perform 20 hours of community service.
"Most students choose the service because who wants to write a 20 page paper," said Michelle Wigianto, a former student in Halperin's human rights class.
The service requirement in Halperin's class falls under the service learning model of higher education. Service-learning is a teaching tool that is being embraced by approximately 60 professors on the SMU campus. This program allows students to venture out into the community and volunteer with a particular agency for course credit. This opportunity provides a way for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real-world setting.
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