Page 277 - Keys to College Success

Volunteering and Service Learning

Volunteer and service organizations provide opportunities to give of your time and
talents to those in need. Many colleges have chapters of national service fraternities
such as Alpha Phi Omega as well as school-specific groups. Colleges may partner with
organizations such as the Red Cross. Some schools may have an “umbrella” organiza-
tion that manages a number of groups and opportunities. For example, Madison House
at the University of Virginia trains, places, and manages thousands of volunteers who
serve 19 different programs on a weekly basis.
Service learning adds another dimension to volunteering. Through service learning,
students address real-life problems and needs in the community using what they learn
in their coursework. Because the service work is part of the curriculum of a course,
students are held accountable for it—and for their reflections on it—as they are for any
other course requirement. Each aspect improves the experience of the other; if you are
6
involved in a course with a service learning component, what you learn in the class-
room helps you perform service more effectively, and your experience of service gives
you a deeper understanding of the course material. 7
Both volunteering and service learning are valuable and have service in common,
but they have distinct differences. See Key 9.5 for examples that illustrate some of
those differences.

Greek Life

Some colleges have fraternities (primarily for men, although some fraternities accept
both men and women) and sororities (for women) on campus. Because the names of
these organizations consist of two or three letters from the Greek alphabet, they are
referred to as Greek organizations, and the terms “Greek life” and “Greek system”
refer to them collectively. Greek organizations aim to provide both social and service
opportunities.
Greek life varies widely from school to school and from organization to organiza-
tion. Even within a national organization with a presence at colleges all over the
country, each chapter may have its own distinct character and focus. At some schools,
the system involves a majority of students; at others, where it involves a lower per-
centage of students, it does not dominate the social scene as much. Most schools with
Greek systems schedule a “rush” period in the fall or spring, when prospective mem-
bers visit all of the organizations on a structured schedule. After each visit day or

KEY 9.5 Service learning differs from volunteering and community service.

VOLUNTEERING AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE SERVICE LEARNING

Volunteering to staff a state fair as part of 50 As part of an Allied Health course, providing first aid assistance at the Indiana
community service hours required for graduation. State Fair, and reflecting in writing on the experience of handling unpredictable
first aid situations.

Donating emergency kits to a local Red Cross As part of an emergency management course, working with a number of local
organization and helping to educate local citizens nonprofit agencies to develop emergency management plans and, the end of
about how to use them. the term, presenting plans to agency representatives along with emergency kits.

Helping a local Habitat for Humanity chapter restore As part of a survey design class, creating and administering surveys within several
some local homes that had fallen into disrepair. neighborhoods, and giving the data to a local organization that plans to use it to
9 make improvements to residential properties.
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