ERIC Number: EJ1120310
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2159-9823
EISSN: N/A
University Service-Learning Partnership with a Foreign Government: A Case Study
Guseh, James S.
Journal of Public Scholarship in Higher Education, v5 p79-92 2015
The purpose of this research is to assess the process of establishing, implementing, and evaluating an international service-learning (ISL) partnership between an American university and a foreign government. The partnership is between North Carolina Central University and the Civil Service Agency of Liberia. In order to facilitate an in-depth examination of the program, a case study methodology was employed. Many Liberian government agencies have benefited from the services that students have provided through ISL. A reflection of this ISL partnership shows that the partnership impacts teaching by providing real-world examples or cases, as well as demonstrating the nexus between theory and practice. The services students provide can also serve as a source of research for faculty and students. The career outlook of student participants is also broadened beyond the national level to international affairs. Moreover, while many ISL programs focus on one broad field of study, such as nursing, the university-government ISL partnership assigns students to different government agencies with different policy foci, such as health policy and government budgeting. As such, students can be placed in diverse agencies which in turn can provide diverse experiences, when shared among themselves, can further broaden their global perspectives and enrich teaching, research, and service at institutions participating in ISL.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Service Learning, Universities, Federal Government, Government School Relationship, Partnerships in Education, International Cooperation, Public Agencies, Case Studies, Theory Practice Relationship, Public Policy, Student Placement, Learning Experience, College Students, Masters Programs, Public Administration Education, Student Attitudes, Reflection
Missouri Campus Compact, Missouri State University. 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65897; Tel: 417-836-3104; Fax: 417-836-3105; -e-mail: jpshe@missouristateledu; Web site: http://jpshe.missouristate.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina; Liberia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A