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OCSL home > Faculty > Sponsoring a CSL independent study

What did I sign up for? Sponsoring a CSL Honors Independent Study

The Community Service Learning Honors Independent Study (CSLHIS) offers students an opportunity to enhance their current coursework by participating in service that is related to the content of a course.

Eligibility
Though it is an Honors course, CSLHIS is available to all UMass students, whether or not enrolled in Commonwealth College.  CSLHIS must link to a course (of at least three credits) that a student is taking in the current semester or took during the previous semester. 

Deadline
The student must submit a CSLHIS proposal by the deadline set by the Office of Community Service Learning, which is typically about four weeks after the start of the semester.  

Credits and service hours
A student can receive either one or two credits for a CSLHIS project.  A student must complete at least 30 hours of service for each credit earned.  Credits are not awarded for simply completing a requisite number of hours; rather, credits are earned for effectively demonstrating learning.  Completing thirty hours of service gives students ample time in the community to contribute to an organization's work, further explore course concepts, and develop a body of experience from which they can draw important lessons.

Sponsoring a student
The student’s service must relate directly to material covered in the affiliated course.  Therefore, the only faculty member who can sponsor a CSLHIS project is the instructor of the affiliated course. 

Students will need guidance in drawing out the connections between their experiences at the service site they’ve chosen and the concepts and skills they are learning in the classroom. 

Regular structured conversations between the faculty sponsor and student are generally the best way to ensure that the student is learning from the combined experience of participating in service and reflecting thoughtfully on the experience.  Biweekly meetings are recommended; asking students to respond to structured questions or fulfill other writing assignments can be useful ways for students to prepare for these meetings. 

Grading and evaluation
Students receive credit for demonstrating the learning that comes from engaging in meaningful community service combined with reflection and academic exploration. 

While the Office of Community Service Learning offers guidelines for the CSLHIS, it is the faculty sponsor who ultimately sets the evaluation criteria and assigns a grade.  As the faculty sponsor, it is imperative that you and the student determine the final product for the CSLHIS project.   Whether it is a compilation of writing assignments, a final paper or a presentation of some kind, it is necessary for the student to demonstrate the connections between the course content and the service experiences.

Support
If you have questions regarding the goals of the Community Service Learning Honors Independent Study, your role as a faculty sponsor or other issues related to CSLHIS, please contact the Academic Programs Coordinator.

OCSL is a program of Commonwealth College