What is the CBL designation?
The CBL designation on courses stands for Community-Based Learning and simply indicates that the course involves a community-based learning teaching strategy, such as service-learning or community-based research. Some key things to keep in mind:
- Any existing course at WSU can apply for this designation.
- The community-based learning experience in the course can be required or optional for students.
- Individual sections of courses can receive the CBL designation for individual instructors, or all sections of a course can receive the CBL designation if all sections, regardless of instructor, offer a community-based learning experience to students.
- Community partnerships in CBL designated courses are with non-profit organizations; although, for-profit organizations serving the needs of the underserved, marginalized populations or needing assistance with social justice issues also qualify.
Why Should i apply for a CBL designation?
It announces to students, at the time of registration, that your course involves a service-learning or community-based research project. And, it registers your course with the CIC which in turn provides support to you and your students.
What are the criteria for the CBL designation?
Criteria #1
Needed Service for Social Change - Students in the class provide needed service/research to individuals, organizations, schools, or other entities in the community wherein the service, the findings of the research or the process itself might lead to social change.
Criteria #2
Relates to Course - The service/research experience relates to the subject matter of the course.
Criteria #3
Reflection - Activities in the class provide a method or methods for students to think about what they learned through the service/research experience and how this learning relates to the subject of the class.
Criteria #4
Assess Learning - The course offers a method to assess the learning derived from the service/research. Credit is given for the learning and its relation to the course, not for the service/research alone.
Criteria #5
Equal Partnership - Service/research interactions in the community recognize the needs of service/research recipients, and offer an opportunity for recipients, students and faculty members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the service/research as equal partners.
Criteria #6
Use Discipline Knowledge - Knowledge from the discipline and the community informs the service/research experiences in which the students are involved.
Criteria #7
Civic Education - The service/research opportunities are aimed at the development of the civic education of students even though they may also be focused on career preparation.
Criteria #8
Peer Learning - The class offers a way to learn from other class members as well as from the instructor.
Criteria #9
Alternatives - Course options ensure that no student is required to participate in service/research which creates a religious, political and/or moral conflict for the student.
Criteria #10
Dissemination - Community-Based Research only – The course requires students to disseminate the findings of the research to community partners and/or other relevant audiences.
