The High Impact Practice of Community-Based Learning

Keyla Eusebio, Graduate Retention Fellow

Introduction Institutional Data DOS Cohort Non-DOS Cohort Recommendations

Salem State University (SSU) hosts an annual Moving Forward, Giving Fall 2016 – Spring Future Research including Methodology & Data
Back: Day of Service (DOS) where 200 first year students, faculty, staff Retention 96% 90%
and alumni participate in a day of community service in the Greater
Collection Methods
Salem area. The high impact practice was adopted by SSU’s Center for Fall 2016 GPA 3.13 2.83
Civic Engagement and First Year Experience Office with the hope of
improving student retention and increasing student’s GPA. The service Fall 2017 – Spring
learning tactic has been shown to positively contribute to a student’s Retention 92% 90%
learning experience. However, I wanted to see if this high impact
practice was truly contributing to students academic success positively Fall 2017 GPA
Community Leadership & Public Service Program
3.15 2.86
as well as their commitment to their education. The main question I
had was is there going to be a positive correlation between a student
participating in Day of Service and their high GPA? And also, were MAPWORKS DOS Cohort Non-DOS Cohort
student’s fulfilling the various outcomes of the Day of Service? QUESTIONS Fall 2017 Fall 2017

High overall satisfaction

with the institution 45.2% 35.6%
Literature Implications & Conclusion
Plans to get involved with
student organizations 49.1% 24.3%
Bonsall, D. L., Harris, R. A., & Marczak, J. N. (2002). The learning projects. Academic impact increased school
community as a classroom. New attendance up to 97% Intended to get involved
Directions for Student Services, 2002(100), 85.nThe
article offers an in-depth review of a community-based Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices:
in campus/ community
service
44.1% 16.2% • Adopt more high impact practices
student leadership program that aims to provide benefits What they are, who has access to them and why they
to students and the surrounding community. Close to matter. Washington, DC: Association of American
Plans to return to SSU
next academic school 78.1% 76.6% • Changes the way we try to teach students
80% of students successfully complete the community Colleges and Universities.
service. Kuh argues that high-Impact practices enable students to
learn outside of the classroom while creating meaningful
year
• Allows for more innovative and
Bradley, P. (2011). Feeding academic success.
Community College Week, 23(17), 6-7.
relationships with their peers and professors. The high
impact practice of community service-based learning
Committed to attaining a
degree from SSU 76.8% 71.2% engagement ways to educate students on
more than scholarly topics but worldly
Showcases the benefits of service-learning program at also allows students to work together and for students to
community colleges across America. Studies find that the gain diverse perspectives from their peers.
students involved are more motivated by service-
Has made strong peer
connections 58.5% 42.8%
learning in ways that cannot be accomplished by
traditional courses.
Singleton, J. L. (2007). Taking the class to the community
with service-learning: Gerontological macro social work topics as well.
practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 50(1),
Forsyth, J., & Hesson, N. (2017). Benefits and challenges 105-118.
Plans to get involved with
leadership roles 19% 10.8%
of transitioning to community service multidisciplinary The article discusses how the College of Mount St.
capstone projects. Proceedings of The ASEE Annual Joseph made community partnerships with agencies who
Conference & Exposition, 3281-3300. assist an older population of adults. The partnerships
Discusses how service-learning has becoming utilized a service-learning approach. Students showed
increasingly popular when it comes to incorporating that they learned the most in these classes and
them across disciplines into traditional classes. participation levels of students increased greatly.
When acknowledging these benefits, capstone projects
have been introduced at the campus which has focused
on outreach and service.

Gonsalves, S. (2011). Connecting curriculum with

community. Education Digest, 76(6), 56-59.
The article showcases the personal and educational
benefits of students participating in community service