Scholarship through service-learning: tenure and promotion and research issues

1. Scholarship through service-learning: tenure and promotion and research issues Marybeth Lima, Associate Professor Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering

2. Introduction • How I got my start in service-learning as scholarship • By failing!  • Questions are welcomed throughout this presentation!

3. The secret to P&T • There are three rules for getting tenure. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

4. Overview • The rest of my story of service-learning scholarship (“If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning”—Catherine Aird) • Developing and executing research projects within a service-learning framework • Documenting and disseminating your work for promotion and tenure

5. Getting started • Is there a question(s) about service-learning and/or promotion and tenure that you would like to ask? Write it down. • If desired, fold up, put in box, and I’ll answer accordingly. • “I am not getting any guidance.”

6. My story • Had SL research important to engineering in general, but not specifically tied to my traditional research duties and job description • Strong support from chair level up, no support at the departmental level • A&M and AgCenter discussions • I received both of my discipline’s top national teaching awards while being unsure of whether I would receive tenure

7. Dos and don’ts • Do • Frame your service-learning work in a research context (within the flagship agenda, etc.). • What does it mean to be Research I? • Disseminate and present your service-learning work in the language of researchers • Tie your service-learning research to your job description • Don’t • Let anyone believe that your work is only “touchy-feely” service (be vigilant about language) • Let anyone believe that your work is only innovative teaching

8. Developing and executing research projects within a service-learning framework • Limitations of bean counting: “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” • The current state of affairs: we extol the virtues of bean counting! • US News & World Report rankings • Peer assessment, student selectivity, faculty resources, graduation/retention rates, financial resources, alumni giving

9. You must make your service-learning work COUNT (literally and figuratively) • What counts in your field as scholarly work? • What is your area of scholarly work (think job description)? • What counts “up the PT line” as scholarly work? • What research-based project can you make “countable” within your scholarly area of work? • Community partner input is critical

10. Example • My overall goal is to ensure that every child in Baton Rouge has access to a safe, fun, accessible playground • Clear: service component, teaching component, practice component** • Traditional research component? • From practice and keeping up with playground engineering literature

11. Research questions • Arsenic in pressure treated wood • Does the arsenic present in pressure treated wood negatively impact the health of children that play on a playground full of such wood? • Sugarcane bagasse as a surfacing material • Surfacing is expensive. Any economical material that will meet safety standards for surfacing is needed! Sugarcane bagasse is one-third the cost of mulch. Mulch is widely used as a surfacing material; bagasse is used for some of the same uses that mulch is. Is bagasse an effective playground safety surfacing material? • EPA funding!

12. Another example • University of South Florida collaborative for children, families, and communities • http://www.usfcollab.usf.edu/ • Research collaborative in which faculty meet with community partners with no set agenda to explore the research needs of the community • Results in community-based action research that is easily funded • Results in fairly traditional research for faculty

13. Developing and executing research projects within a service-learning framework • Write research questions specifically tied to your field • If possible or desirable, tie in with the practice aspects of your field • You should effectively communicate your scholarly service-learning activities to your colleagues, chair, PT committee members, and external reviewers!

14. Developing and executing research projects within a service-learning framework • Along the way • Do some information gathering • Become familiar with SL literature in your discipline (and in general) • find gaps in the literature that correspond to the type of work you want to do • Plan your project with publication in mind (goals, measurable objectives, assessment, evaluation) • Remember confidentiality, liability, and rights of human subjects • You do not have to do this alone! Collaborate with like-minded people that have research expertise that complement your expertise!

15. Activity • Can you articulate a research question(s) based on service-learning work that you are doing (or thinking about doing)?

16. Documenting and disseminating your work for promotion and tenure: the four Ps • Publish • Refereed journals, chapters, monograph, book, etc. Publish in your discipline’s journals if at all possible! • Procure grant funding if necessary • Internal (CCELL, travel grants, seed grants, tech fee) • LSU Foundation (work through your college rep first) • OSP Public Service Grants (directly in response to Katrina) • Present your work at regional and national conferences • International service-learning research conference, http://www.upa.pdx.edu/SLResearch06, etc. • Promote your work • CCELL, departmental newsletters, University Relations, EBR schools publicity office • Media training: • Never talk to a reporter without thinking about it first • Three talking points! • Use as a force for good

17. Two other items • 1. National review board for the scholarship of engagement (Driscoll and Sandmann) • http://www.scholarshipofengagement.org • “Created to review and evaluate the scholarship of engagement of faculty who are preparing for annual review, promotion and tenure.” • Provides evaluation criteria • Evaluates portfolios • Resources, readings, FAQs

18. Choosing external reviewers for P&T • External letters are a critically important piece of the P&T process • Cultivate these relationships early in your career (sometimes people will offer) • Try to pick people who practice and/or support SL that people in your discipline will recognize • Remember that the only people in the entire process who know the stature of external reviewers are people in your department!

19. Summary • Assistant professors can and should do service-learning if they want to • Frame your service-learning work in a research context • Articulate research questions and use the resources available to you on campus to refine the questions and properly execute the research • Have several research-based talking points regarding your SL project and share them with everyone regularly

20. References and useful websites • Driscoll, A. and E. Lynton. 1999. Making Outreach Visible: A Guide to Documenting Professional Service and Outreach. Washington, DC: AAHE. • Lynton, E. 1995. Making the case for professional service. Washington, DC: AAHE. • Lynton, E. and S. Elman. 1987. New Priorities for the University. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • http://www.servicelearning.org • http://www.compact.org/resource/documenting.html • http://www.scholarshipofengagement.org