University+students'+views+of+a+public+service

**University students' views of a public service graduation requirement: After two years** Barbara Moely, Research Afiliate, Center for Public Service, Tulane University moely@tulane.edu] Vincent Ilustre, Executive Director, Center for Public Service, Tulane University vilustr@tulane.edu]



**Keywords:** Graduation requirement, civic attitudes, assessment

**Track:** Student development and learning

**Format:** Research paper

**Date & time:** Thursday 9:30-10:40

**Location:** Salon 12

**Summary:** Beginning in 2006, a Southern university located in a city that suffered through Hurricane Katrina instituted a public service graduation requirement for undergraduates. Ongoing research is tracking students to see how their civic attitudes and self-evaluations vary over time. After two years of college, views of the public service graduation requirement continue to be positive; students’ views of the value of community engagement and their self-assessed knowledge of political/social issues show positive changes. Attitudes expressed upon college entry are related to students' views two years later, as are experiences with service-learning and community involvement during college.

Students’ positive views of the graduation requirement were maintained: Only 4% at Time 1 and 5% at Time 2 saw the requirement as “a bad idea.” Similarly, their indications of how much public service they intended to do while at the university were positive and predicted the amount of service they reported actually doing two years later. Students reported increases in their valuing of community engagement and increased in ratings of their knowledge of the local community and of current political/social issues.

Students’ positive attitudes toward service are consistent with other findings for the “millennial” generation (Johnson Grossnickle Associates, 2011) and offer support for expansion of service-learning or community-based learning opportunities for university students. If a requirement is implemented, it is important that students learn, during the admissions process, of the opportunities and challenges of the requirement, so that there can be a “match” between their expectations and what they find at college. Findings support the value of student involvement in the community through well-planned service-learning activities, both for course outcomes and for more general development of civic attitudes and knowledge.

**References:** Cooper, M. (n.d.) Is a service requirement the best way to go? Retrieved from httpp:www.fiu.edu/~time4chg/Library/req.serv.html

Johnson Grossnickle Associates (2011). Millennial Donors Report 2011. Retrieved from http://millennialdonors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/MD11_Report1411.pdf

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jones, S. R., Segar, T. C., & Gasiorski, A. L. (2008). “A double-edged sword”: College student perceptions of required high school service-learning. //Michigan Journal of Community// //Service Learning//, 15(1), 5-17.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marks, H. M., & Jones, S. R. (2004). Community service in the transition: Shifts and continuities in participation from high school to college. //Journal of Higher Educatio//n, 75(3), 307-339.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Moely, B. E., & Ilustre, V. (in press, 2011). University students’ views of a public service graduation requirement. //Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning//.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stukas, A. A., Snyder, M., & Clary, E.G. (1999). The effects of “mandatory volunteerism” on intentions to volunteer. P//sychological Science//, //10//(1), 59-64.

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