A university's commitment to community service is vital to establishing productive working relationships with important community offices and committees. Several public relations officers were asked to describe the different ways they cultivate understanding. Experiences of Syracuse University and the University of Scranton are described. (MLW)

Analysis of students' volunteer efforts exhibited altruism's importance both in students' initial and continued involvement as volunteers; egoistic motivations also seemed important to students. Students more heavily involved in volunteer efforts cited altruistic motivations as more important in their continued involvement than in their initial…

Public policy programs at universities are continuing to define and defend their institutional niche, influenced by new quantitative approaches of cost-benefit analysis and more analytic decision making. At least 50 institutions offer master's programs in public policy leading to jobs in government and industry. (DB)

A six-week program of social service and education for eighth graders at Ruffing East Montessori School focuses on aging and connects each pupil with a resident of a local retirement community. Through reading, attending classes, keeping a journal, interviewing, and creative writing, the students develop a greater understanding of and respect for…

Every college or university must understand its academic priorities, including the role of service as an aspect of its mission, and must set clear goals for a level of commitment that matches those priorities. A matrix that links organizational factors to service commitment levels is proposed as one possible approach to setting institutional…

Argues that service-learning practitioners have much to learn from previous struggles within higher education, particularly the history of extension programs during the progressive era (1908 to 1910). In view of this history, it is proposed that service-learning programs will have a difficult time in their current efforts to convert universities…

Examines the role of universities in international outreach efforts and offers examples of Washington State University activities in economic development, research, and education. Argues that international outreach is essential in order for modern universities to meet their responsibilities, serve their constituencies, and survive in a rapidly…

A survey of 133 British college students serving as tutors in local schools found that for most the primary motive was to improve job prospects. A small cohort was primarily motivated by community service. (SK)

Reports on a community-service project carried out by general chemistry students at the University of Utah. Students research lead poisoning then visit neighborhood homes to teach about lead poisoning, collect exterior paint samples, and analyze them as part of a chemistry experiment. Discusses service-learning and laboratory activities. (WRM)

Describes the Institute of Government, a hybrid unit that successfully straddles the academic fault line between public service and traditional scholarship. Discusses its mission, major areas of work and successful programs, organization and funding, and future directions in funding, faculty fields of expertise, civic education, and local…

Describes the Center for Engaged Scholarship at the University of South Florida, which operates from the premise that all scholarly work has potential applications beyond academia. Its activities help faculty to partner with community groups while also meeting the expectations of their departments and disciplines. (EV)

Relatively little research has examined the outcomes (either program completion or recidivism) of community service (CS) sentences among adult offenders in the United States, despite the fact that this form of alternative sanction has been employed in the United States for nearly 40 years. What little research exists, primarily from Europe,…

This study evaluates the ability of a safer sex televised public service announcement (PSA) campaign to increase safer sexual behavior among at-risk young adults. Independent, monthly random samples of 100 individuals were surveyed in each city for 21 months as part of an interrupted-time-series design with a control community. The 3-month…

This article focuses on the ways in which patterns of marriage and fertility shape older people's involvement in community groups and their support networks. The data are from Australia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings show that childless older adults, regardless of…

Service learning is defined as a teaching/learning method connecting meaningful community service experiences with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. It is associated with various school-to-work transition efforts, including apprenticeship, tech prep, outcome-based education, and substance abuse and dropout prevention.…