An Experiential Learning Requirement for NM Community

CollegesPutting “Community” back in Community

Colleges

PurposeTo explore setting up an experiential / service

learning requirement for New Mexico community college studentsThis means creating or modifying existing

service learning (SL) program(s) for use statewide.

Administering program through the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship authority To address current funding difficultiesTo act as an additional eligibility requirement

Essential QuestionsWhy modify the Legislative Lottery

Scholarship?Why set up such a program? (i.e. justifications)What similar programs may already exist?What components would this program need?What costs / benefits might be realized?What roles would community colleges play?How might younger students or community

members be involved?What conclusions can we draw about this

proposal?

New Mexico Legislative Lottery ScholarshipSince 1996, funds from profits on lottery

ticket sales have been used to award over 90,000 college scholarships, resulting in 38,000 have graduated1.

Unlike most federal student aid, the Legislative Lottery Scholarship is not based on need

Therefore, this is an extremely popular option:13,619 students used it in the Fall 2010

semester, for example2. This is out of a total of 142,000 college

students in New Mexico, but is still a sizeable amount3.

1. http://www.nmlottery.com/about/scholarships/2. http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/lottery-scholarship-report-2013.pdf 3. http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/lottery-scholarship-report-2013.pdf

Legislative Lottery Financial WoesStudent demand and tuition costs have risen,

but ticket sales remain level.As a consequence the scholarship fund has

exhausted profits and required a funding fix from the NM Legislature1.

This will almost certainly require the NMHED to use its authority to change: The amount of funding that the scholarship

covers orThe eligibility requirements for the scholarship

1. http://dacc.nmsu.edu/fa/status-of-new-mexico-lot.html

Alternative RequirementsMany proposed changes to the scholarship

requirements are being proposed, such asIncreasing the GPA requirements Increasing the credit hour requirementsBasing the scholarship on financial need

All of the above would be problematic because:They tend to be exclusionary and arbitrarily setIn the case of financial need this would mean huge

amounts of additional paperwork too They include no mechanism to help students

achieve higher GPA, more credit hours, etc.

Service Learning OptionRequiring students to participate in SL does

not have previous defects:Does not exclude based upon academic ability

or needProvides a mechanism to help students

enhance skillsPotentially benefits the community in which

they serveMay generate grant funding from state,

federal, or private sourcesMay help student employment prospects, or

allow some students to earn compensation for work

So Why Modify Lottery Scholarship Program?Already an existing state program with authority to

set scholarship requirementsFederal financial aid requirements could not be easily

modifiedScholarship fund is having difficulty as presently

structuredSome sort of modification will be required to maintain

solvencySignificant numbers of students make use of

program14000 student participants annually would be enough

to make a difference in community

JustificationExperiential or Service Learning (SL) is a well-

recognized educational technique for achieving meaningful student learning outcomes. Some proponents included Dewey, Kolb, Piaget,

Jarvis, and Fenwick (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 163)

Many community colleges claim service learning is core valueCNM, for example states “serving the community

is a core part of our institutional mission”http://www.cnm.edu/depts/service-learning

Other JustificationsOther countries have mandatory service requirements for

higher education students Mexico, for example:http://

www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy/vol16no4/canton_ramos.cfm

Opportunity for maturation42% of students are first time freshmen30% of community college students are under 21

Work experienceOnly 62% of full-time students work and go to schoolStudents may be able to work in this program instead of a

less educationally relevant job. http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Pages/fastfactsfactsheet.aspx

Community Engagement & Sustainability as Core ValuesMany areas of service learning are possible

We are choosing to target those that promote sustainability.

CNM claims commitment to both community engagement and sustainabilityCNM Strategic Direction Goal: “Community

Success: Lead and support high value workforce and community engagement1”

Committed to “course-level sustainability learning outcomes2”

Service Learning in sustainability would be consistent with both objectives

1. https://www.cnm.edu/student-resources/get-help/cnm-core-values 2. http://www.cnm.edu/about/sustainability

Existing programsAmeriCorps

Perhaps the best known examplehttp://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps Under auspices of Corporation for National and

Community Service www.nationalservice.gov

Mission:“to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages to help improve the nation through service—making our streets safer, our environment cleaner, our children healthier, and our schools better”*

* http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper180.html

AmeriCorps BranchesState and National Programs

http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/upload/state_profiles/pdf_2013/NM%20AmeriCorps.pdf

VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)Primarily serves low-income individuals and areashttp://

www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)

Partnership with non-profits, municipalities, churches, and secular organizations

http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-nccc

Senior CorpsOpportunities for people 55+ years old to servehttp://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps

State / Local ProgramsUNM’s Community Engagement Center

http://clps.unm.edu/about/history/ AmeriCorps style modelInitiatives in about 30 communities/areas throughout New

Mexico1

State, federal, local, tribal TeacherCorps, FoodCorps, Tribal Service Corps, etc.

“There is no other service corps program in the state of New Mexico with its breadth, comprehensiveness, and community connections.”

Other colleges / universities have similar programsNMSU’s Service Learning for Educational Distinction (SLED)

Programhttp://emd.education.nmsu.edu/grant-programs/service/

1. http://clps.unm.edu/initiatives/

Other programsNon-comprehensive program examplesNumerous local, state, and federal opportunities exist

The EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, for example has the program below:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/svclearn.pdf Private/ Non Profit SL Programs with a sustainability

componentNavajo Nation Amizade “Global” Service Learning

Partnership with Dine College in Crownpoint, NM http://amizade.org/programs/locations-to-serve/the-navajo-nation/

Youth Development Incorporated New Mexico Early childhood through college level support programs for youth http://www.ydinm.org/index.php/about-ydi

Other private program examplesEarthship

Biotecture AcademyTaos, NM

Sustainable building practices

http://earthship.com/academy

What components would an SL program need? Enrollment

Lottery Scholarship participants required to enrollPartnership with high schools and community

colleges to facilitate this Ultimately the student’s responsibility, however

Identification of skills and interests of participants Matching students to existing programs, and needs Based on student existing skills, knowledge, interests

Level of commitment for participants How much participation should be required at a

minimum? How should service beyond the minimum be credited?

What components would an SL program need? Initial and On-going Orientation / Training

What kinds of minimum training will be needed for participants?

What training will take place on-site?What kinds of on-going learning support would

be needed i.e. classroom meetings, seminars, web

conferencing How often should this be done?

What kinds of reflection or student work products should be expected of participants?

What components would an SL program need? Partnership with existing programs

As shown, numerous programs exist in NM But they are a patchwork of funding, needs, and goals Are there enough programs to absorb available students?

If not, what can be done? Need job developers / volunteer placement coordination May have to create waiting lists

Need proposals from partners Outline goals and make sure consistent with state SL goals Memo of Understanding (MOU) that specifies

Number of volunteers Scope of work / educational objectives Cost sharing

Cost and BenefitsSetting up such a program may be expensive

Budgets are already tight for NM Lottery Scholarship fund and for Community Colleges

Grant monies may be available to defray costsState, Federal, and private monies may be available to

help set up a program like thisFunding from programs like AmeriCorps /

Corporation for National and Community ServiceUS Department of Education grants

https://www2.ed.gov/students/involve/service/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln

Many private, non-profit educational grants available

Additional Costs & BenefitsStudent Time Availability

Students may not have the time to volunteer Work of family commitments Class schedules

Time flexibilityPartnerships with schools and possibly employers may address

these time conflictsDistance learning technology and flexible class scheduling can

also ease time conflictsStudents may earn money or other benefits because of nature of

work For example, students working in child care might also be able to get

childcare services for their own families Students may be able to earn money for working beyond required hours

Role of Community Colleges (CC)Many colleges already are committed to

community engagement and service learningMay have to expand or modify courses offered

to support these programsMay have to provide some initial and on-going

skills training to participantsCould take an active role in helping to find

program participants and place students Ultimately the college benefits, because the student

is able to pay tuition Some of these volunteer programs may serve CC

needs as well

Role for youth or community membersProgram primarily envisioned for college

studentsHigh school students, or college graduates, or

seniors could still volunteer in many existing programs

Possible for high school students to earn “credits” for service that could be applied when they go to college This might mean not having to do SL requirements

when first enrolled in CCNon-college volunteers would still be needed

Organizations can divide up workload more appropriately by age and skill levels

Concluding pointsCurrent proposal involves some financial

risks, but also a lot of potential benefitsIf properly administered it should address

existing problems with Legislative Lottery Scholarship

Should also provide great educational and professional opportunities for students

Should be a great benefit to the community and the environment.

Isn’t this what a Community College is supposed to be about ? !