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Mission & Goals

Mission & Goals

Mission

The Center for Service and Learning engages students, faculty, staff, and community members in educationally meaningful service to promote learning and development; advances best practices and research; achieves community goals through partnerships; and furthers the civic engagement mission of IUPUI.

Vision

To transform universities and communities through educationally meaningful service.

Values

The center’s work is to be consistent with the following values:

Programmatic Values

We value programs that:

Reflect our mission
Are innovative and educationally meaningful
Change lives through a commitment to the ethic of service
Improve social conditions in the community
Involve reflective practice that informs participants
Build upon campus and community assets
Respect the diversity of constituents

Operational Values

We value program operations that:

Use teamwork to improve how programs are implemented
Employ creative leadership to foster effective collaboration
Demonstrate scholarly rigor
Monitor and assess outcomes for program improvement
Use resources in an ethical, informed, and effective way

Informational Values

We value knowledge that:

Is generated in and with communities
Is derived from service experiences
Is gained through reflective practice
Contributes to social change
Respects diverse perspectives

Relational Values

We value collaborative relationships that:

Advance our mission and vision
Celebrate and recognize the contributions of others
Promote integrity and commitment
Are formed through constructive dialogue
Develop over time

Goals

Collaborate with other units and organizations to deepen community engagement in higher education: CSL achieves community goals through partnerships. Developing and supporting relationships with community partners is essential to fulfilling CSL’s mission.
Contribute to cultivating a campus environment that fosters the development of community-engaged faculty, practitioners, and scholars: CSL collaborates with others on campus. Working with faculty and staff to achieve shared goals is critical to supporting learning and sustaining community partnerships.
Contribute to cultivating a campus environment that enhances student learning and development across the curriculum through community engagement: CSL supports student learning and development. Designing educationally meaningful service experiences is an effective way to develop civic-minded graduates.
Implement co-curricular programs to support student development and success: CSL furthers IUPUI’s civic engagement mission. Advancing the public purposes of higher education is important locally, nationally, and internationally.
Advance research and scholarship to deepen understanding and to improve practice: As an IUPUI Signature Center, CSL advances best practices and research. Assessing learning outcomes and conducting research is essential to improved practice.
Enhance staff culture of community engagement to support IUPUI as an employer of choice: CSL engages others in educationally meaningful service. Recognizing the contributions of others is valuable to sustaining service as a distinctive aspect of campus culture.
Create a welcoming organizational culture that fosters staff effectiveness: CSL makes wise use of human and fiscal resources. Cultivating internal capacity is vital to sustaining programs and creating new initiatives.