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Community Service Learning (CSL)

 

Community Service Learning (CSL) provides a worthwhile educational experience with the opportunity to apply psychological principles learned in the classroom to the real world. Students choosing the CSL option must complete 40 hours of volunteer work at one approved community service site or 20 hours at two sites. Prior community service will not fulfill the requirement (i.e. service hours that were completed before approval was granted will not count towards the requirement).

 

Contacts

CSL Faculty Advisor
Dr. Laura Wilson (lwilson5@umw.edu)

CSL Student Coordinator
Sofia Taylor (staylor7@mail.umw.edu)

Sofia’s Fall 2023 in-person office hours in Mercer 320 are:

Mondays, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Tuesdays, 2:00 – 3:00 pm

Thursdays, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

She will also hold office hours online on the following days; she can be reached via email to arrange to meet her during these times.

Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:00 pm

Fridays, 2:00 – 3:00 pm

 

Specific Requirements

  • Must be declared as a Psychology Major
  • Requires at least 12 credit hours in psychology beyond PSYC 100 – General Psychology
  • Includes 40 hours of volunteer work at one approved community service site or 20 hours at two sites; hours cannot be split up amongst more than two sites
    • NOTE: Up to 8 hours of training may count toward your 40 CSL hours.
  • You must complete your community service within 12 months of beginning it
  • You are required to attend one reflection sections during each semester you are completing community service hours
  • Initial signatures on the CSL contract must be obtained and turned in to the CSL Faculty Advisor by February 1st of the student’s senior year. All paperwork with final signatures must be returned to the CSL Faculty Advisor by March 15th of the student’s senior year.
    • NOTE: If you are graduating in the Fall semester of your senior year, the initial paperwork must be completed by October 1st and the final paperwork by November 15th.

 

Getting Started

The first step to getting started in CSL is getting added to the CSL Canvas course where you will find all needed documents, your CSL training modules, and further instructions. Email CSL Faulty Advisor and/or the CSL Student Coordinator (listed above) to get added to this class.

NOTE: You must be added to the Canvas class and have submitted your initial contract through the appropriate assignment in this class before you can count any hours.

If you are still searching for a placement, please start with the UMW Community Engagement site:

https://academics.umw.edu/communityengagement/for-students/get-involved/volunteer/

All placements on the CE website are approved Psych CSL sites as well as those on our approved list. There are lots of online and in-person, socially-distanced opportunities. To view the list, go here: https://cas.umw.edu/psychology/experiential-learning/community-service-learning/csl-placements/

If you need further help and guidance in finding a placement, please contact the Center for Community Engagement:

Sarah Dewees, Director (sdewees@umw.edu)

Carleigh Rahn, Graduate Assistant (crahn@umw.edu)

Do you want to do CSL hours over the summer?

Follow these steps:

  1. Get added to the Canvas page as noted above.
  2. Make sure you contract is APPROVED before the last day of classes in the spring semester. This means you must get your contract SIGNED by the agency and uploaded BEFORE the last day of classes.
  3. If you need to complete a NEW SITE FORM, make sure that is also uploaded BEFORE the last day of classes.
  4. Do the volunteer training modules.
  5. Once your contract (and new site form if necessary) is approved, you may START and TRACK your hours over the summer.
  6. If you finish your hours, you may submit the final contract that needs to be SIGNED by the agency. However, this final contract will not be graded until the fall.
  7. Early in the fall semester you will be contacted to do a reflection session and complete your final CSL reflection questions.
  8. NOTE – NO REFLECTION SESSIONS WILL BE HELD OVER THE SUMMER AND NO FINAL CONTRACTS WILL BE GRADED. CSL conducted over the summer will appear on your transcript as a FALL class. Also, there is no one staffing the CSL course in the summer, so do not expect responses to emails about CSL until the fall.

Do you want to do CSL hours over winter break?

Please see the instructions for CSL over the summer above and follow similar steps. NOTE – All paperwork must be UPLOADED by the last day of classes in the Fall semester. Hours can be completed and tracked over winter break as long as the contract (and new site form if necessary) is approved and volunteer training is complete. You will be contacted early in the spring semester for a reflection session IF YOU FINISH YOUR HOURS and upload a final contract. You will be registered for CSL for the spring semester. NOTE – There is no one staffing the CSL course in the winter break, so do not expect responses to emails about CSL until the spring.

Are you in the Education program?

If so, practicum hours can be used to fulfill the CSL requirement. You still must complete all CSL paperwork and attend a reflection session. CSL contracts must be signed and uploaded to Canvas BEFORE you begin your practicum. Contact the CSL Faulty Advisor and/or the CSL Student Coordinator (listed above) to be added to the CSL Canvas class where you will be able to download and submit your contract.  If you would like to volunteer at a site that is not on any of these lists, please contact CSL Faulty Advisor and/or the CSL Student Coordinator to receive a New Site Form.

*You must email the CSL Faulty Advisor and/or CSL Student Coordinator to be added to Canvas and receive a contract. Your contract must be uploaded to Canvas before you start volunteering*