Jan. 15, 1998
Contact: Mayerene Barker,
(818) 677-2130
mbarker@exec.csun.edu
Journalism professor Maureen Rubin has been appointed the center's part-time director.
The center will be funded in part by two grants that Rubin has received--$2,000 from the California Campus Compact and $5,000 from the Western Region Campus Compact Consortium.
"These two organizations seek to increase campus participation in community and public service and integrate community service as a valued component of higher education," Rubin said.
Rubin's grants, along with matching funds provided by the university, will be used to develop an infrastructure to support academic study linked to community service and create pilot projects in various disciplines.
Two pilot projects--one with Pacoima Beautiful, the other with New Directions for Youth in Van Nuys--will be conducted during the Spring 1998 semester.
A survey by Pacoima Beautiful, a nonprofit organization working on environmental and safety problems in impoverished areas, has determined that 25% of Pacoima's residents have respiratory ailments. Northridge students studying environmental health with John Schillinger, associate professor of health science, will research the validity of links between the community health problems and the community's ground water.
At the same time, engineering students working with Karla Johnson-Majedi, retention coordinator at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, will map and design affordable improvements in street lighting and walkways.
Rubin's public relations students will try to obtain donations of materials from local businesses.
In the second project, students of Robert Lingard, CSUN computer science lecturer, will teach basic computer skills to students at New Directions for Youth, which operates an alternative high school for at-risk and delinquent youths and their families.
In addition, students in CSUN journalism classes will act as writing coaches for youths on area high school newspapers and design and present a program on eating disorders for junior high school students.
Rubin said that in addition to helping create more service-learning courses, the new center will gather information on successful experiential education endeavors already occurring on campus. These range from volunteer programs to community service projects to a wide array of internships and field study courses.
"There is a place for an infinite variety of community-service activities on campus, but the role of the new center will be to help professors develop academic courses where the learning goal is primary and the service outcomes are secondary," Rubin said.
"A key component of service-learning is student reflection. Faculty will help students examine their service activities in a way that enhances their understanding of course content, helps them gain a broader appreciation of the discipline and enhances their sense of civic responsibility."
Previously, Rubin worked in a variety of community service and public advocacy jobs. She was director of public information for the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, press secretary to Congresswoman Gladys Spellman (D-Maryland) and director of public information for Consumer Federation of America and the National Consumer Cooperative Bank. She has a law degree from Catholic University, a master's degree in public relations from USC and a bachelor's degree from the Boston University School of Public Communication.
Professors and community leaders interested in more information about the center can contact Rubin at (818) 677-3135.
California State University Chancellor's Office Press Releases
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