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Service-Learning Syllabus Statement Template

This section of [ABC 1234] is a UCF-sanctioned Service-Learning course. Students will complete a minimum of 15 hours of service over the semester. The service activity will address a documented community need, support course objectives, connect campus learning to the broader community, foster civic engagement, and include structured reflection.

Reflection will occur through [class discussions, online forums, field journals, etc.]. Although 15 hours is the minimum required to pass, your service-learning experience is central to the course. Grades related to service-learning will be based on the academic products that result from the experience — not on hours alone.

The service-learning component includes direct service and a [paper, presentation, poster, creative product, etc.]. This ensures work is developed for a real-world audience and yields meaningful outcomes. [I will provide suggested partner organizations, and you may propose alternatives.] All projects must be approved. Each project will begin with a signed agreement among the student(s), the agency contact, and the instructor.

Students with a valid objection to a proposed project or placement must notify the instructor during the first week or before the drop/add deadline so alternatives may be discussed.

Questions about this designation or HIP designations at UCF may be directed to HIP@ucf.edu.

Related FAQs

This section of [ABC 1234] is a designated HIP-Research-Intensive (RI) course. This designation will be noted on students’ transcripts. Research-Intensive is one of UCF’s four HIP course designations, along with Service-Learning, Integrative Learning and Global Learning. HIP courses are among the most challenging and rewarding at UCF.

In this course, students will actively engage in research processes, and a significant portion of students’ final grade will come from project(s) based on original research and creative scholarship. Our research in this [topic/discipline] course will involve [activities] to produce [final deliverable]. This will give students the opportunity to work with real research questions that scholars continue to investigate and will ensure that the time invested in these projects results in meaningful outcomes. I will guide you through each stage. All projects must be approved by [assignment or point where projects approved].

Students with a valid objection to any of the research activities described above must notify me during the first week of class or before the drop/add deadline so we can discuss alternatives.

Questions about this designation or HIP designations at UCF may be directed to HIP@ucf.edu.

This section of [ABC 1234] is designated as an Integrative-Learning Experience (IE) course. This designation will be noted on students’ transcripts. IE courses provide opportunities to connect the core knowledge and skills of a major to real-world professional and civic contexts. Students will work closely with faculty and peers to develop, reflect on, and articulate their goals. While many courses include integrative-learning elements, in order to receive an IE course designation, the integrative-learning component must be central – not peripheral – to the course.

In this course, the IE component will involve a [multimedia presentation, poster, written reflection paper, creative presentation, etc.]. This ensures that real-world experiences are meaningfully tied to course objectives and that the time invested in the project results in tangible products.

Students with a valid objection to a proposed IE project or placement must notify me during the first week of class or before the drop/add deadline so we can discuss alternatives.

Questions about this designation or HIP designations at UCF may be directed to HIP@ucf.edu.

UCF defines Global Learning (GL) courses as those that engage students in examining interdependent international systems and their impacts on humanity from multiple perspectives. AAC&U defines global learning as:
“A critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems and legacies (such as natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political) and their implications for people’s lives and the earth’s sustainability. Through global learning, students should

  1. become informed, open-minded, and responsible people who are attentive to diversity across the spectrum of differences,

  2. seek to understand how their actions affect both local and global communities, and

  3. address the world’s most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably.”

GL courses at UCF prepare students to ethically and collaboratively engage in discussions about global issues and to consider solutions to the challenges faced by international organizations and the people affected by their work.

To meet these goals, GL-designated courses include activities that emphasize:

  • Intercultural competence — learning to work and communicate across cultural differences.

  • High-Impact Practices (HIPs) — engaging in time-intensive, faculty-guided learning with real-world application.

  • Metacognition — developing the ability to reflect on one’s learning and use that insight to improve future decisions and actions.

If students have questions about this designation or HIP designations at UCF, please contact HIP@ucf.edu.