“Getting personal experience and classroom instruction simultaneously helped me retain course knowledge and see how it applies in the real world.”

Marshall University SL Student, CJ 325

Combining academic theory with community service enhances student learning by offering hands-on experience outside of the classroom and simultaneously provides community organizations and citizen initiatives with needed expertise.

Service Learning:

• provides faculty with the opportunity to make a more meaningful and long-term impact on Marshall University students and in the community.
• enhances student learning by offering hands-on experience outside of the classroom.
• allows faculty to be innovative and creative in their teaching, which increases student retention by providing quality education.
• contributes to a university's outreach efforts to the local community, the state and beyond.
• enhances academic rigor in a course and enriches classroom discussion and lectures.
• creates opportunities for students to connect key course concepts with relevant real world experiences.

The MUSLP is committed to assisting faculty throughout the development of a service learning course and facilitates a sustainable environment for the faculty to expand their course curriculum.