Risk Management

Required Forms & Evaluations

Request to Initiate Campus-Community Partnership

Community organizations interested in partnering with the University for service learning must complete and submit a Request to Initiate Campus-Community Partnership form which serves as an initial repository of information about the potential learning site. Agency's responses will help the office of Community Engagement determine if an organization is an appropriate placement for service learning students, help match courses with the organization, and also provide information regarding when students are needed, student requirements, and liability coverage.

Community Organization Self-Assessment of Learning Site Risks

The purpose of the Community Organization Self-Assessment of Learning Site Risks is to identify any inherent risks at the site that might cause student health and/or safety concerns and must be submitted to the office of Community Engagement as part of their Request to Initiate Campus-Community Partnership.

Service Learning Campus-Community Partnership Agreement (Sample)

The Service Learning Campus-Community Partnership Agreement must be completed prior to students beginning their service learning assignment; students who participate in a service learning assignment at a community organization that does not have a Service Learning Campus-Community Partnership Agreement with the University are not covered under the SAFECLIP campus insurance program. The agreement provides that that neither the University nor the Learning Site is responsible for providing Workers' Compensation insurance to students. Once the final content and format of your campus' form is approved by your risk manager and/or contracts and procurement officer, any proposed changes to the Service Learning Campus-Community Partnership Agreement must be reviewed by those individuals.

Service Learning Project Planning Checklist

A critical component of developing a service learning project is the completion of a Service Learning Project Planning Checklist. Recognizing that each service learning assignment is uniquely designed to fulfill course-specific learning outcomes; we also acknowledge that the level of risk for these assignments may vary even if the assignments occur at the same community organization. Because of this variance of risk, faculty should have a converstion with the learning site supervisor(s), utilizing the Service Learning Project Planning Checklist as a guide, to determine the potential risk(s) to students involved in the service learning assignment. Once the project planning checklist is completed, faculty should arrange a meeting with the office of Community Engagment to review the plan and discuss potential risks.

This form is to be completed by faculty designing a service learning assignment and must submitted to the office of Community Engagement at least one (1) month prior to the start-date of the semester in which the service learning project will occur.

Learning Site Orientation Checklist

Learning Site Supervisors must provide students with an orientation to the learning site. The Learning Site Orientation Checklist is a resource tool for the learning site supervisor and should be used with the Service Learning Project Planning Checklist to develop a thorough on-site orientation for service learning students. The learning site orientation should provide students with a clear understanding of the work they will be doing, the risks associated with that work, and how they should conduct themselves when they are working in the community as part of a class assignment. This is the simplest, most efficient way for students to become aware of emergency policies, accident procedures, and the rules and regulations of the site.

Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement (Sample)

The Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement has been developed as an online form and must be completed by all students engaged in a service learning project prior to their first day at the learning site. Students who participate in a service learning assignment without submitting a Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement are not covered under the SAFECLIP campus insurance program. Part one (1) includes areas for students to provide information about themselves, emergency contact information, identify their community learning site and site supervisor, detail course information including articulating their learning and service objectives, and define the beginning and ending dates of their service learning assignment. Part two (2) defines the participation guidelines for students engaged in a service learning assignment and are important in order to provide a positive learning experience. The guidelines acts as the student's acknowledgement of their responsibilities in completing their service learning paperwork, understanding of the potential risks associated with the service learning assignment, as well as the professional standards expected of them while at the learning site. The Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement also informs students that they are personally responsible for paying any costs related to the treatment of any injury or illness they may suffer while at the learning site. The Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement is an online form that students complete and submit to the office of Community Engagement. Learning Site Supervisors should ask students for a copy of the course syllabus and a definition of the learning objectives to be achieved through the service learning assignment.

Student Time Sheets

DUE: Friday, May 10, 2013

Student Time Sheets document the hours that students serve at the learning site and the type(s) of activity they did while at the site. The Student Time Sheet has been developed as a PDF document that students access to enter their hours and activities. At the completion of their service hours student must print and sign their time sheet, obtain a signature from the learning site supervisor, and return the completed document to the office of Community Engagement by the due date indicated above. (Note: due-dates for time sheets vary each semester, but generally it is the last week of instruction).

Evaluations

• Pre-Service Learning Evaluation (Sample) - DUE Sunday, February 17, 2013
• Post-Service Learning Evaluation (Sample) - DUE Friday, May 10, 2013
• Learning Site Supervisor Evaluation of Student - DUE Friday, May 10, 2013

Evaluations are valuable when the office of Community Engagement is determining the ongoing nature of campus-community partnerships with particular community-based organizations. When evaluations are collected and processed, the service learning office, faculty member and risk manager can revisit the desirability of renewing the Service Learning Campus-Community Partnership Agreement with any particular community organization. Additionally, the pre- and post-service learningt evaluations act as tools for measuring students' inclination to participate in service learning classes and the likeliness of students to participate as active members in their community. Learning Site Supervisors are also required to complete a Learning Site Supervisor Evaluation of Student for each CSUN student completing a service learning assignment at the learning site by the due date indicated above.