Doctoral Students as Critical Community Contributors Within Their University

Abstract

This chapter explores how service learning experiences with the university as a community partner can contribute to doctoral students' scholarly growth and professional identity development. By engaging in service learning experiences within their institution, doctoral students build the capacity to be critical contributors to institutional growth and change. Doctoral students pursuing academic careers benefit from socialization into an academic culture by interacting, collaborating, and reflecting with university community members in mutually beneficial service learning opportunities rather than transactional interactions such as assistantships. Institutions and doctoral programs will benefit from considering how to incorporate the service learning principles of active engagement, collaboration, and reflection intentionally into their students' experiences.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Critical Contributor: Someone who engages in mutually beneficial collaborative work with another that challenges and balances the default power differential to claim agency in shaping the direction and purpose of the work.