As Kansas State University puts forward its strategic plan with emphasis on applied learning, how can our faculty prepare to engage with community and create stronger, efficient, mutually-beneficial relationships that enhance the student experience and fulfill a community need? One way is through service-learning.
In spring 2023, the Staley School of Leadership welcomed Lori Kniffin, former K-State instructor, to campus for a guest lecture on engaged learning experiences.
In the second installment of this blog series, Kniffin reflects on the recently released K-State strategic plan and what democratic engaged-learning experiences. Read more posts from this series: What is service-learning?
Have you ever been part of something bigger than yourself? If you have, you know that experience can create purpose, energy, and collaboration. If you haven’t, you can have that opportunity now! On Sept. 8, 2023, a new strategic plan for K-State was announced—you can watch the Launching the Next-Gen K-State: 2023 State of the University video if you missed it live. In this address, Marshall Stewart, K-State senior vice president and chief of staff, alongside President Linton, shared a compelling vision for a Next-Gen K-State.
The strategic plan was created through a process that included voices from a variety of roles and perspectives: learners, faculty, staff, administrators, community members, donors, alumni and more. Each of those groups were also invited to participate in making this plan a reality, and there are a variety of ways to engage. The plan invites everyone to be part of something bigger than themselves: a next-generation land-grant institution focused on making progress on the complex challenges of Kansas, the nation, and the world.
The idea that all kinds of groups would participate in this plan didn’t seem like a platitude to me. If you look at the details of the strategic plan, you might come to the same conclusion as I did—involvement from these groups is a necessity.
For example, Imperative 3 of the strategic plan is to “provide every degree-seeking student with applied learning experiences before they graduate, fulfilling our commitment to prepare students for life beyond K-State starting early in their college experience” (p. 9).
There are several forms of applied learning such as internship, study abroad, undergraduate research, and the focus of this blog series, service-learning. These forms of learning require partnerships that take learning outside of the four walls of the classroom for students to apply and experience their learning in real-contexts.
As these partnerships are developed or strengthened, it may be helpful to consider Saltmarsh et al.’s (2009) distinction between technocratic and democratic engagement. Technocratic engagement risks framing the campus partners as the experts who can do things for community partners. This might work for a time, but ultimately, this approach undervalues the rich contextual knowledge and long-term investment of community partners. As I tell my service-learning students at the start of the semester, “Remember, your community partners have been doing this work for a long time, and even though you will help make progress this semester, they will continue this work when you’re gone.” A democratic approach encourages campus and community partners to work with one another, sharing ideas, power, learning, and growth. This approach can be transformational for everyone involved.
| Technocratic Engagement | Democratic Engagement |
| Doing for | Doing and being with |
| Deficit-based: assumes and starts with needs and problems | Asset-based: assumes and starts with strengths and possibilities |
| Uni-directional flows of knowledge from credentialed academic experts | Multi-directional (web-like) flows of knowledge among everyone involved |
| Generally transactional exchanges (give and take); at best, everyone involved gains | Potentially transformational partnerships; at best, everyone involved learned and grows, systems change, and new value is generated |
| Hierarchical power dynamics | Co-roles and identities / claiming and sharing power and voice |
Note: Table from Clayton & Kniffin (2017)
My hope is that all of you engaging in the work to create the next-generation land-grant will do so through a democratic engagement lens and will embrace the “One K-State” vision that encourages work across silos. Work across campus and community boundaries; work across disciplinary boundaries; work across faculty and learner roles. And, accept that it will be hard at times! I’ve been doing service-learning and community engagement work for about a decade, and for as many transformational moments I’ve experienced, I have had equal amounts of failure. Working across boundaries takes learning, patience, humility, and persistence.
I encourage you to find a support system of people who can celebrate your wins and help you reflect on your failures. I also encourage you to seek out existing resources and learn about new resources that will surround the goals of this strategic plan. This blog series will help provide more of the nuts and bolts and best practices for service-learning specifically. I hope this provides a good starting place for those wanting to develop service-learning experiences or a refresher for those already practicing this form of applied learning.
References
Clayton, P. H., & Kniffin, L. E. (2017, January 24). An introduction to service-learning and community engagement as co-inquiry. [Blog post]. Elon, NC: Center for Engaged Learning, Elon University. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/an-introduction-to-service-learning-and-community-engagement-as-co-inquiry/
Kansas State University. (2023). Next-gen K-State: Strategic plan 2030. https://www.k-state.edu/strategic-planning/documents/strategic-plan/K-State_StrategicPlan_FINAL.pdf
Saltmarsh, J. A., Hartley, M., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Democratic engagement white paper. Boston: New England Resource Center for Higher Education.
