Service-Learning Course Assistant Grants for Faculty

Purpose
The purpose of this grant is to provide stipends for undergraduate course assistants who support former service-learning faculty fellows who are teaching a service-learning course.  Course assistants can provide ongoing logistical and classroom support throughout the semester. 

Eligibility
The grant is open to any Service-Learning Faculty Fellow who has taught a service-learning course for at least one semester.

Award and Support
The award provides a $750 stipend to the course assistant.

Deadline:  

Applications can be submitted at any time, but should be submitted in advance of the semester in which the course assistant will be hired.

Criteria for Choosing Course Assistants: 

Faculty must identify their own course assistants. Course assistants must have taken the service-learning course taught by the faculty applicant during a previous semester. (This ensures that the assistant will be able to take on a leadership role in the course and will have the background and experience to provide substantive support to students). 

Application/Proposal Requirements
Applications should include:

1. An application cover sheet that includes (a) Faculty member's name (b) Title (c) Email (d) Phone number (e) Academic Department (d) Course Title/Course Number (e) Semester in which the course is taught (f) anticipated course enrollment (g) tentative course assistant's name, and  (h) approximate number of hours per week that the course assistant will spend assisting in the course.

2.  A one-two page description of the ways in which a course assistant will be utilized in order to enhance the service-learning components of this class and the ways s/he will contribute to preparation, service, reflection, communication and/or assessment.

• Preparation: Assist faculty member in preparing students for their service. 
• Service: Help students connect with service placements at community organizations. 
• Reflection: Assist faculty member in designing and organizing reflection activities and facilitating discussion to link the service to other elements of the course. 
• Communication: Stay in communication with community supervisors and/or other students to assess the success of student placements and trouble-shoot if necessary.

3.  If known, a description of the prospective course assistant, including background information about the student, the student's past experience with the service-learning course, positive attributes making the student a good choice to be an assistant, and ways this position will benefit the student.

Faculty awardees are required to assess the impact that his/her course assistant has had on the overall quality of the course, providing a report to the Colin Powell Center at the end of the semester.

Selection Criteria
Preference will be given to courses that:

• demonstrate strong leadership opportunities for the student assistant;
• show promise for continuing in a long-term relationship with a school, community-based organization or other public sector entity; OR
• maximize the number of student and community participants, or that show promise of deep impact on students and community.

Completed proposals should be submitted to:

Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies
  Attn: Genéa Stweart
The City College of New York
160 Convent Ave., Shepard Hall Room 550
New York, NY 10031

For further information
email gstewart@ccny.cuny.edu or call 212-650-6335