Steps for Choosing a Service Learning Site for Your Distance Course
Follow this step-by-step guide for choosing the service-learning site for your distance course.
Step 1
Review the criteria on the SL agency criteria list and choose an agency with which you would like to work.
Service Learning Agency Criteria:
- The agency’s mission must connect to the content of your course—check with your professor if you are unsure about this connection.
- The agency must be a not‐for‐profit or public organization
- There must be one person who can act as your supervisor. Supervisor tasks include:
- Offering ongoing feedback
- Assigning appropriate tasks
- Verifying hours
- Completing an evaluation at the end of the semester
- The organization must have liability insurance that covers volunteers.
- The agency must have sufficient needs to offer you the minimum number of service hours service required by your professor.
Step 2
Contact the agency where you would like to serve. Explain that you are a university student who would like to work with their agency and make an appointment to meet with them. Prior to your meeting with an agency representative, complete the Distance Service Learning Agreement form. Bring the form with you to leave with the representative if they agree to offer you a placement. Remember the placement must meet both your needs and the agency’s needs.
Step 3
Contact the Office of Community Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship (OCELTS) to give them the contact information for the agency that you have chosen so that OCELTS can complete the paperwork to solidify the partnership. You can contact OCELTS at ocelts@loyno.edu or 504.865.2282.
Step 4
Once an agency agrees to offer you a placement, the representative must email you and copy OCELTS (ocelts@loyno.edu) an offer to serve letter with their expectations and your anticipated tasks.
Step 5
You accept the agency’s offer via email and copy OCELTS on your acceptance with your anticipated start date.
Step 6
Complete any pre‐service requirements in a timely manner. These may include a background check, training session, or orientation.
Step 7
Serve. You should work at least one shift per week, each week over the course of the semester. Keep track of your time using the distance learning electronic timesheet form. Timesheets are due for review and credit at mid‐semester and on the final day of class.