Community Involvement Center

Faculty & Staff

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I will learn.”

~Benjamin Franklin

Faculty Members

Help your students build stronger academic skills. Create an excitement for learning. Encourage lifelong volunteerism. Change their lives, yours and many others by offering community-based learning (CBL) experiences such as service-learning and community-based research.

Service-Learning and Community-Based Research pedagogy provide experiential learning of course objectives within the local community, reinforcing application of classroom knowledge. Students learn to take the core information that faculty members want them to learn, and extend that knowledge outside of the classroom.

The Community Involvement Center at Weber State University can help you get started and offers a number of tools to support you during your community-based learning efforts. 

Below is a list of frequently asked questions for faculty new to community-based learning. For more detailed information, use the links in the “faculty” tab of the CIC website.

What counts as community-based learning?

To be CBL-designated, your class must meet nine criteria, 10 if you’re engaging your students in community-based research. For example, service should:

  • Relate to the subject matter of the course; and 
  • Be aimed at developing students’ civic education. 
A complete list of criteria and other related information can be found in the CBL Designation link in the "Faculty and Staff" tab.

Why should I register my course with the CIC?

When you register with the CIC, we'll help you:

  • Find and develop community partners;
  • Record and track students’ service hours; and 
  • Provide documentation of your involvement for promotion and tenure files. 
By offering CBL experiences to your students, you’ll also be an active participant in upholding WSU’s mission and strategic plan.

What training/resources are available through the CIC?

We offer a number of training opportunities and resources, including:

  • Workshops available with topics ranging from preparing students to serve, applying for the CBL designation, and establishing community partnerships; and 
  • A toolkit with sample syllabi, service-learning ideas and other helpful materials. 
The links in the "faculty" tab will connect you to all of these resources and more.

How do I minimize the risks of service-learning?

The CIC utilizes

  • A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a formalization of partnerships between the CIC and community organizations; and 
  • An Informed Consent Agreement which helps ensure safety from liability to our students, faculty, staff, and partners. Students give their informed consent when registering online with the CIC, prior to completing service-learning hours in an off-campus organization. 

Weber State University, Community Involvement Center

Ogden, Utah 84408

801-626-7737