Service Learning as Scholarship of Engagement and Its Relationship to the Academic Reward Structure

Service-learning is an emerging paradigm in undergraduate education benefitting students, universities, and communities. Students benefit from the practical, hands-on experience of service utilizing the education received through their academic work; universities benefit from the good will and good publicity garnered by successful projects; communities benefit, as service-learning projects often aim to address real and pressing needs. But what of the faculty member whose task it is to identify, formulate and oversee these community projects? In this paper, the argument is made that service-learning projects may potentially provide reward to tenure-track faculty members by inclusion in rank and tenure dossiers. Service-learning projects can be included within the Boyer Model of Scholarship under the scholarship classifications of Application, Teaching, or Engagement. The paper concentrates particularly on the Engagement classification. Additionally, risks to the faculty member choosing to use service-learning as a promotion or tenure tool are discussed. The authors’ own service-learning activities are described and discussed as an example.