Approved 6/18/02

PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY ACTION I

Level I

RATIONALE: The CPCS Mission Statement states the college’s intention to educate students “to foster the public good and aid the transformation to a more just society,” and adds its intention to see that students can demonstrate “the professional competence to function effectively in a broad range of workplace and community-based roles and activities.” To function effectively and professionally in a variety of social and employment positions, one must aware of the social, political and procedural obstacles that require an active response to protect and enhance the well-being of the community.One step along the road to these objectives is to take some action that reaches beyond personal learning to achieve some constructive purpose, either at an individual service level or in organizing for community change.  The ability to clarify purposes for an action, take the action, and reflect on what is learned is basic to all public and community service roles.

This competency is the first of a series of competencies involving participation in public and community and reflection on that action.  The emphasis in this basic competency is on developing awareness of the values that motivate one participation in constructive action, keeping a written record of one's activities as they take place, and reflecting on one's strengths, weaknesses and learning from participating in action.

COMPETENCY:  Can participate in carrying out constructive action intended for the benefit of others, reflect on what was learned in the process, and generalize that learning so it can be applied in other situations.

CRITERIA:

1.      Working alone or with others, identify a need that can be addressed with concerted action that extends for at least several weeks.  For example:

a.               Participate in a tutoring program in a local school.

b.              Work with your local church in developing a program for the homeless.

c.               Help a community organization address a local problem.

d.              Join an effort to get more evening services for CPCS students.

e.               Participate in an effort to improve services for clients at the agency where you work.

f.                Join in an effort to get a halfway house accepted in your community.

2.      Specify the purposes and goals of the constructive action, along with the values you hold that led to your involvement.

3.      Participate in the action, keeping a journal of all your activities and reflections.

4.      After the action is completed, reflect on your participation in the action:

a.               What have you learned?

b.              Did you, or your group, achieve the intended goals?

c.               Drawing on your journal, think about how your values were expressed through the action.

d.              What were the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?

e.               Identify and discuss any unforeseen problems you encountered and how you addressed or resolved them.

f.                Discuss how you will apply this learning in other situations.

STANDARDS:

1.      For Criterion 1, when you have identified an issue/need for action, you must meet with an evaluator and obtain her/his approval for your proposal.  In that meeting you should detail what you plan to do (or have done, in the case of prior experiential learning), giving particulars regarding the complexity of the situation and how it will take (or did take) at least some weeks to complete.

2.      For Criterion 2, prior to specifying the purposes and goals of the effort, you must consult at least two written sources relevant to the issue you plan to address (or did address through prior experiential learning—in which case the readings should help you reflect on what you did).  One (or more, if you choose) of these sources can provide information about the context of the issue; the other(s) must have something to do with the type of action you take—organizing, volunteering in an agency, etc.  If you are taking an action that is part of an ongoing effort in an agency or group, you will want to obtain a copy of the mission statement of the agency and use it in your reflections.  Summarize the readings, list the action’s purposes and goals, and discuss what you learned from the readings that influenced your thinking regarding the purposes, goals, and type of action.

3.      For Criterion 3, the journal need not be daily—though it can be—but should include at least eight thoughtful entries of half a page to a page for each.  If you are demonstrating this competency on the basis of prior experiential learning, the “journal” can consist of entries regarding your memory of different steps or stages through the life of the activity.

4.      Criterion 4 can be demonstrated either as an essay or as an oral presentation of 5 to 10 minutes based on an outline or notes.

EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION:

1.      Prior Learning: You have worked in a tutoring program in a nearby school. Working with a CPCS evaluator, you identify appropriate readings about the role of tutors and approaches to working with children on reading issues, and take notes on what you read.  You write up reflections on your experience and on the readings you have done.  You complete the competency by describing what you learned and how you would apply your knowledge to a similar situation in the future.

2.      Independent Learning: You find yourself in a conversation with CPCS evening students regarding a course scheduling issue.  You agree there is a problem and determine to take action.  Using the CPCS Yellow Pages you identify an appropriate Community Action competency evaluator and develop a course of action designed to stimulate the addition of evening courses (or service to evening students) in the future.  For example, you might meet with staff in the Office of Student Services.  You might circulate a petition and publicize your campaign in the CPCS chat room on the web.  Your readings might include a book on organizing and an article on adult students’ needs for full service.  You stay in touch with the evaluator to ensure that you are meeting all the criteria and standards.

3.      Course: You complete a CPCS course addressing the competency or an appropriate transfer.

4.      Field Project: You register and participate in a Community Action Workshop offered by the Competency Connection, where you and other students have the option of either selecting individual projects, joining with people in your neighborhood or workplace, or forming subgroups within the workshop setting to take group actions within the university.  You decide to work with the social action committee of your church to support a nearby homeless shelter.  Your readings include works on homelessness and organizing.  You regularly report your activity to students gathered for the workshop and exchange suggestions for ensuring that the project is as well formulated as possible, and you keep each other reminded about what needs to be done to complete all the criteria and standards.