美国高校服务学习机构的使命及其启示——基于美国四所大学的案例分析

Mission Statement of Service Learning Institutions in American HEIs Based on the Cases of Four American Universities

如果把服务学习概念提出的时间1966年作为起点,美国高校服务学习已历经50多年的发展才逐步从边缘走向中心,走向制度化。大部分美国高校都成立了专门的机构、配备了专门的人员和相应的经费支持,甚至修改了大学留任、终身制和晋升的标准来推进服务学习在院校层面的制度化。通过解读美国四所高校服务学习机构的使命陈述,发现通过服务学习课程培养大学生的公民意识和社会责任感是美国高校服务学习的两个重要使命,为中国大学课程设计从“思政课程”走向“课程思政”指明了方向。美国高校服务学习不管是作为大学社会服务理念的落地,还是作为融入课程的一种教学法,服务学习整合了大学三大职能以完成“育人”的核心使命,对于引导我国部分地方本科院校向应用型转型提供了理念和方法的借鉴。服务学习的教学职能通过课程来体现;服务学习的科研职能通过服务学习项目来体现;服务学习的社会服务职能表现在满足社区的真实需求,从而促进社区的发展。

Service learning in American colleges and universities has gone through more than 50 years of development,gradually from the edge to the center,and towards institutionalization.Most American colleges and universities have established specialized institutions,equipped with special personnel and corresponding financial support,and even modified the standards of retention,tenure track and promotion to promote the institutionalization of service learning.Taking the service learning institutions of UCLA,UCB,UM,and CSU as examples,this study interpreted the mission statements of these institutions,and found that cultivating democratic citizens and social justice of students was two important missions of service learning of American colleges and universities.The finding points out the direction for the curriculum design of Chinese universities from“ideological and political courses”to“curriculum ideology and politics”.Service learning,as the landing of the university’s social service ideal and a teaching method integrated into the curriculum,integrates the three major functions of universities to complete the core mission of cultivating people,which provides reference for guiding local undergraduate colleges and universities to transform into application-oriented ones.The teaching function of service learning is reflected through the curriculum;the research function of service learning is reflected through the service learning project;the social service function of service learning is shown to meet the real needs of the community,thereby promoting the development of the community.