SLS-3c The First 4YUG Cohort - Learning Trip to the USA

By 2012, PolyU had developed a sizeable and growing service-learning program.  All undergraduates are required to take at least one credit-bearing subject in service-learning, each requiring the student to carry our 40 hours of community service, with clearly defined academic learning objectives and outcomes.  A number of subjects had been developed.  An Office of Service-Learning (OSL) had been set up to assist academic departments in developing these subjects.  Yet we knew that we were still only beginners  in this area.  Hence a small team was sent to visit a number of reputable universities in the USA experienced in service-learning, to learn from their experience.  They were University of San Francisco, University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University.  At the same time, we also wished to bench-mark our very young program against some of the best and most experienced.  

The team was led by Prof. Walter Yuen, vice-president for Academic Development, Dr. Stephen Chan, head of OSL, Mrs. Winnie Lee, associate head of OSL, and Dr. Grace Ngai, chair of the sub-committee on service-learning subjects.  It was a very fruitful expedition.  Among the major take-aways are the following:

1. The objectives and structures of the PolyU service-learning courses are in line with those of leading universities in the USA. 
2. Our program is focused on service-learning while many leading universities have broader scopes - leaving us with a lot of room to grow.
3. While each university has its own particular strengths, leading universities typically are strong both in local as well as international programs. 
4. Leading universities typically have a central unit coordinating university-wide effort, while some also have centers with specific focus. 
5. Leading universities have strong commitment from university leadership.
6. Successful programs are also underpinned by strong research.