The Role of University President in Institutionalisation of Service Learning in Higher Education
Citation: Selvam, S.G. (2023). The Role of University President in Institutionalisation of Service Learning in Higher Education. In Chantal J., et al. Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education, (pp.199-219). Buenos Aires: CLAYSS.
Abstract
Service Learning (SL) is understood as a reciprocal relationship between the learners and the beneficiaries of a social engagement initiative run by the learners, in which the learners are accompanied by the lecturer to integrate the encounter into their mainstream learning by means of systematic reflection. This method of teaching and learning is becoming a common phenomenon in institutions of higher education across the globe. In order to make it sustainable, the initiatives and processes around SL need to be institutionalised. The aim of this book-chapter is to reflect on the role of the University President in the implementation and institutionalisation of SL in institutions of higher education. Basing itself on existing literature, the chapter fulfils the aim of the chapter in six major sections. It begins by listing three major pathways of introducing SL in an institution and the role of the University President in the pathways (Section 1). Introduction and implementation of SL are to be followed by institutionalisation. Using Furco’s rubric of the three stages of institutionalisation, Section 2 briefly outlines the role of the President in each of these stages. Section 3 presents a 5D model of action plan for the President, and Section 4 presents the governance structure that can be established in institutionalising SL. Sections 5 and 6 discuss the challenges and advantages of the University President taking to heart the implementation of SL. It is envisaged that the chapter will provide a framework for University Presidents who might want to institutionalise SL in their own contexts.
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