4th Credit Option Contract

The 4th Credit Option awards students one additional credit for performing 30 hours of civic engagement activities and service that is linked to a course. Under this option students may earn up to three credits during their college career that may be used as electives toward graduation.

The 4th Credit Option for ACADEMIC SERVICE LEARNING allows students to integrate their academic studies with service to disadvantaged and underserved individuals or groups in the community with a particular academic course. Together with the facilitation of the professor of the course and with a supervisor at the site, students are challenged to find the connection between academic content of a course and experiential learning at a site.

The 4th Credit Option for ACADEMIC SERVICE LEARNING consists of a student's commitment to:

• 30 hours per semester, BEYOND CLASSROOM TIME;
• setting and meeting learning goals agreed upon by the student, the agency and the professor;
• attending an initial orientation;
• participating in TWO discussion sessions and a mid-semester Reflection assignment;
• COMPLETION OF A FINAL PROJECT.

The goals of the program are to provide students the opportunity to:

• Integrate coursework and experiential learning through service, research, and volunteering
• Reflect, with peers, staff and faculty, on experiences and academic links discovered through their civic engagement
• Develop critical analytical skills while exploring underlying problems that face agencies and communities served.