Success Factors

Important Aspects of Successful Partnerships

Spend time talking to agencies before the semester begins to establish goals and outcomes for students involved in the class.  The more time you spend at the beginning organizing the service project, the less time you’ll spend with challenges that can arise during the course of the semester.

• Collaborate and work as partners
  • Share your syllabus with the community benefit agencies so they know what you expect in your class.
  • Community Partner Perspective
• Determine needs of faculty, agency, students, community
  • What do you need your students to get from the experience and what does the agency need to help them meet their mission.
• Discuss course curriculum
  • Make sure the benefit to the student and agency are reciprocal.
• Discuss resources
• Discuss concerns
  • What issues may arise during the semester and how to deal with them.       
• Discuss student contributions
  • Establish best way of communicating issues that may arise with students throughout the semester.
• Discuss expectations, procedures, norms
  • Go over paperwork that may be required from the class and from the agency.
• Anticipate challenges
• Establish frequent and open communication
  • Make sure there are consistent times to briefly evaluate how the service is going throughout the semester