Service-Learning at OCU

Service-learning at Oklahoma City University gives students opportunities to apply what they are learning in the classroom through service in a community-based setting. Since the inception of the service-learning program in the 2002 spring semester, OCU has offered 204 service-learning courses. Starting in fall of 2003, a service-learning course was made part of the general education requirement for all undergraduates.

24 Schools and Departments offer Service-Learning Courses:

Accounting (ACCT)
Art (ART)
Biology (BIOL)
Chemistry (CHEM)
Computer Science (CSCI)
Dance (DANC)
Dance Management (AMGT)
Economics (ECON)
Education (EDUC)
English (ENGL)
Environmental Science (BIO)
History (HIST)
Justice Studies (JUS)
Kinesiology (KES)
Management (MGMT)
Mass Communications (MCPM)
Nursing (NURS)
Philosophy (PHIL)
Photography (PHOT)
Psychology (PSYC)
Religion (REL)
Sociology (SOC)
Spanish (SPAN)
Theater (THRE)

“Service-learning taught me how to take classroom theory and make it practical and relevant.” Mike Slack, Oklahoma City University Religion Student

COURSE SNAPSHOT:

ENGL 113H: Honors Composition I
Students collaborate with the Oklahoma City National Bombing Memorial curators, survivors, and others directly affected by the bombing to research and create digital museum exhibits. Exhibits are displayed in the “Virtual Archives” kiosk in the museum and in Teaching trunks” distributed to elementary schools nationwide.

“After teaching service-learning for many years I find that the hidden, or not-so-hidden, gift of this pedagogy is that it brings my students and me closer together as researchers and as colleagues.” Prof. Brooke Hessler, Associate Professor of English, Oklahoma City University

Congratulations to Dr. Hessler, who recently received a Campus Compact grant in support of her spring 2008 service-learning course ENGL 1213: Honors Composition II.