Service Learning Courses

What is Service Learning?

Service Learning is more than volunteering. It connects the knowledge and skills one develops in the classroom with practical application in our community. It pushes students to engage professionals in the city, listen to residents, and collaborate on projects that improve life in the City of High Point for everyone.

High Point University offers about 25 service learning courses each year, engaging about 500 students in service projects that align with the learning outcomes of their classes. All students commit to a minimum of 25 hours of service during the semester. About half of these courses fulfill requirements in the university’s general education curriculum, and the other half fulfill requirements within specific majors.

 

An Example Service Learning Course

Dr. Blosser teaches PHL 2043 Business Ethics, which fulfills the university’s general education requirement in ethics. This course is much more than memorizing ethical theories. It requires students to learn ethical theories, but then put them into practice, critique, and questions them as they investigate the ethical issues young professionals in HIgh Point encounter.

In collaboration with the High Point Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Blosser’s course conducts a community-based research project. It asks young professionals about the ethical issues they face on the job and how they solve them. These examples give the HPU students real-life case studies to analyze in the classroom, instead of using textbook examples. And the students produce a white paper to help the Chamber better understand how it can work to attract and retain young professionals in the city, which is one of their primary strategic objectives.

Photo credit: Laura Greene, High Point Enterprise

The most recent report includes findings like:

• Young professionals want an active, walkable, entertainment district, preferably in the downtown area.
• Young professionals believe the city needs a more diverse business community with a wider range of industries that will higher college graduates.
• The young professionals who already live in the City of High Point like living here, and they point to its small-town feel, geography, and weather as key reasons why they want to stay here.
• Young professionals in High Point demonstrate high rates of religious attendance, making them quite different from their peers nationally.

To read the complete white paper, click here: Final White Paper

The High Point Enterprise covered the students’ presentation to the Chamber of Commerce Board. Read the story here: http://www.hpenews.com/news/study-reflects-how-young-professionals-view-city/article_b74a7386-9f78-11e5-9e74-83e3bbcf542f.html

 

Regularly Occurring Service Learning Courses:

ART 3081 SL
Documentary Photography
Furniture Industry and High Point Museum

BIO 3500 SL
Biology for Women
YWCA

COM/SOA/WGS 2274 SL
Women, Gender and Culture
Leslie’s House and YWCA

COM 3313 SL
Feature Writing
Operation Xcel, Helping Hands, World Relief

COM 3322 SL
Character & UI Design
Boys and Girls Club of the Salvation Army

COM 3385 SL
Research Methods
The class does research on behalf of local non-profits. In the past they have worked with the High Point Arts Council.

COM 4415 SL
Strategic Communication Campaigns
High Point Center for Children and Families

ECO 2050 SL
Microeconomics
The class partners with the Campus Civitan Group and Open Door Ministries. The students volunteer as they learn about the economic advantages of a robust civic sector in the economy.

EDU 3100 SL
Collaboration in General Education
Johnson St. Global Academy

ENG 1103 SL
College Writing/Public Life
Macedonia Family Resource Center and Learning Together
HPU Community Writing Center

ENG 2230 SL
Literature and Community
HPU Community Writing Center

ENG 2230 SL
Literature and Community: Narrative Medicine
Working with the Culler Senior Center and Pennybyrn at Maryfield

HED 1200 SL
Nutrition and Healthy Living
Carl Chavis YMCA

HST 3901 SL
History Detectives
The class collects oral histories from some of the last graduates of William Penn High School, which closed in the late 1960s. The oral histories are being added to an online archive and will be showcased in partnership with the High Point Museum.

INT 3280 SL
Contract I
The class does interior design work for local non-profits, like the YWCA, the HPU Community Writing Center, and this semester they are working with West End Ministries, helping them create a more usable space for their ministries.

PHL 2010 SL
Bio-medical Ethics
Go FAR

PHL 2013 SL
Ethics of Education
Northwood Elementary School

PHL 2016 SL
Family Ethics
Boys and Girls Club of the Salvation Army

PHL/REL 2019 SL
Environmental Ethics
Piedmont Environmental Center

PHL 2043 SL
Business Ethics
High Point Chamber of Commerce

PSC 3332 SL
Campaigns and Elections
The class requires that students choose a local campaign or advocacy group and work for that organization throughout the mid-term elections.

REL 2015 SL
Faith and Ethics
Working with Ward Street Mission

WGA/CSI 2020 SL
Gender, Identity and Community
Bonner Leader Program Partners