KU faculty who would like to engage classroom learning through community service have a new ally in the Center for Service Learning.

The center reports to Senior Vice Provost Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett and has been operating since the beginning of the fall semester on a limited basis but will soon be in full operation.

The announcement of the center's arrival was made recently, and it is currently seeking a faculty director. The center's mission is to assist the university's efforts to serve the community through academic work and is open to all areas of KU.

"We're really ready to step in at any time to support (service learning) in the classroom," said Jackson Sellers, one of two Americorps/VISTAs who are volunteering for a year with the Center for Service Learning. "It crosses all disciplines."

The center will focus mainly on assisting faculty in arranging service learning projects that compliment classroom work. It will do so by making contacts in the community, assessing community need as it applies to specific classes and informing faculty of grant and funding opportunities.

The center is located in the Pinet House, 704 W. 12th St., near Yello Sub.

Previously, KU had no central office of service learning to assist faculty. The Center for Teaching Excellence supported efforts by offering Service Learning Institutes. Examples of faculty work linking the classroom and the community can be found on the CTE Web site www.ku.edu/~cte/gallery/.

"It will be the central hub for all things regarding academic service learning on campus," Sellers said. "We're hoping it becomes a one-stop shop for faculty who want to use community service to engage teaching and learning in the classroom." The Center for Service Learning works closely with the Center for Community Outreach. CCO has been providing students with opportunities to volunteer in the community for more than a decade and was instrumental in recommending that tuition enhancement dollars be used in the establishment of a center that serves faculty.

Service learning is a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on their service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Students will also benefit academically from working with the Center for Service Learning. Those who complete a project will have it noted on their academic transcript. To receive certification, students must complete the course and an assigned set of readings, take part in the project and write a paper reflecting on the experience.

The center presented its goal of certifying 100 students by the end of the academic year to the Board of Regents recently. The goal will increase exponentially each year.

Sellers said the benefits of service learning go beyond a notification on a transcript.

"It's not just a job. There's a reciprocity between the student and the community," he said. "It's a way for students to show their learning is valuable."