Civic Value of National Service: Ethics to Students

Introduction

Colleges and universities across the nation are promoting civic learning at the primary and secondary school levels. Administrators and staff have a unique position within higher educational leadership to provide ethical best practices for students, and to develop a curriculum that involves students getting involved with course work on the school and community level. “A primary role of the faculty is to identify needs in the community and match those needs with academic outcomes by creating projects that benefit all partners: community agencies, students, and the university,” (Handelsman, 2011, para. 7).

Administrators and staff are choosing to lead by example when it comes to creating effective student leaders on some of the top college campuses across the nation. “Schools are uniquely charged with not only affecting the people who walk through their doors every day, but the transitory nature of the population means that administrators and staff have that much more of a responsibility to execute their jobs ethically” (Lynch, 2015, para. 4). Colleges and universities across the nation are beginning to see the shift from classroom to career and are fostering idealism through a set of ethical principles they have created within academia for civic engagement and service-learning to flourish. These institutions are using strategic planning, career services, recruitment, volunteerism and community engagement as focal points to gauge its methodology.

In an era of volunteerism and activism, presenting opportunity for ethical dilemmas and best practices within higher education, leadership are allowing administrators, faculty and staff to get creative with students in their coursework. “Ethics are a key domain in public administration, in particular the school setting thanks to the vast number of schools in the United States, their community integration and their importance for society as a whole” (Lynch, 2015, para. 2).

A student’s level of understanding in their career field of choice would increase their creativity and passion for the work they are doing, enhancing their skillset and thus solving social issues within their communities. Students who choose to follow these principles and dedicate a semester or more to service-learning within the classroom during their academic career, tend to make a difference in society. “Ninety-four percent of AmeriCorps alumni say they gained a better understanding of differing communities; 80 percent say the program helped their careers,” (Zakaria, 2019, para. 9).

Beyond primary or secondary community engagement and service-learning opportunities, graduates have the option to serve a summer or a full year term. Graduates have the ability to choose a national service program, like AmeriCorps, within their desired field to further their knowledge of service and skillset, enabling them to make a difference in the world. There is an option to choose a gap year, too. “Many students think of their gap year as an opportunity to do something worthwhile, such as volunteering with a charity either locally or abroad,” (Haidar, 2014, para 14). In other words, a “gap year” is positioning for undertaking transitions in identity during young adulthood (King, 2010). Some may choose to make their “gap year” a “service year.” Service years are available through a variety of nonprofits and public organizations. From urban to rural communities, service year opportunities are available in a wide array of issue areas, including education, the environment, disaster relief, health care, and more (ServiceYear.org).

The expansion of opportunity in the national service arena is making headway for more pathways to careers in the public administration, nonprofit, business and higher education fields to name a few. “At its core, civic engagement is a simple idea - acts of civic engagement better our communities and us. Campuses can choose to actively help or hinder the exploration of civic Life,” (Connecticut Campus Compact, 2012, pg. 14).