Service Opportunities at Portland State University
PSU faculty, staff, and students strive to create and maintain programs that will ensure that the beliefs espoused in the PSU motto are materialized. In 2003 and 2004, U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue ranked PSU among the best universities in the nation for community-based learning programs that are proven to lead to student success. Partnership TypesCommunity-university partnerships at Portland State may fall under one or more of the following types:
Co-Curricular Service OpportunitiesCommunity-based learning activities can be found across the co-curriculum at PSU. PSU is home to over 200 recognized student organizations, housed under the umbrella of the Student Activities and Leadership Program (SALP), all of which offer engagement and/or leadership development opportunities. Student leadership opportunities offer direct experience in effecting change in the community. For example, students in these organizations manage a sustainable cafe in Portland State's Smith student union, lobby state and local governments, and create educational initiatives around social justice. Student leaders serve within many different clusters including: Multicultural, Fine & Performing Arts, Academic, Spiritual, Service & Advocacy, Recreation, Student Government and Greek Life. Please visit the SALP website for further information. Community-Based Learning Academic CoursesPSU offers more than 400 community-based learning courses across all academic disciplines, engaging over 400 community organizations in a wide variety of partnerships designed to apply scholarly learning to salient community issues. PSU faculty and students work with community partners in order to expand and apply teaching and research methods that emphasize the relevance of course content. PSU community-based learning courses are offered throughout the curriculum and are often noted in the schedule of classes with the "CBL" icon. Community-Based ResearchCommunity organizations often serve as field sites for academic research. Community partners assist faculty and students with problem definition and research design. The goal of community-based research is to create new knowledge that can be applied to address specific community issues. Federal Work-StudyStudents with Federal work-study grants may use their grant to work off-campus with local community service agencies. The PSU Career Center has contracts with a diverse group of organizations that allow our students to work in community service jobs designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, especially those with low incomes. Students interested in community service jobs should contact the Career Center at (503) 725-4965. InternshipsPortland State University faculty coordinate student interns and community organizations in both short-term and long-term partnerships. Internships focus on developing students' professional skills and experience while contributing to the community. Internship experiences tend to be discipline-based, allowing students within a particular discipline to be placed in community-based organizations that provide experience within a focused field of work. Internships may or may not be paid positions and may or may not be taken for course credit. Internships are commonly offered and encouraged in professional fields of study such as Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning, Business, Community Health, Social Work, and Women's Studies. The PSU Career Center and individual academic departments post available internships. PracticaMuch like internships, practica focus on the development of students' professional skills and experience. Unlike most internship experiences, practicum experiences tend to be a required component of the degree program in which the student is enrolled. These practicum credits are conferred for learning that originates in a community-based setting. Similar to internships, practicum students gain experience within a focused field of work. Practicum experiences are for course credit only. Departments with practicum requirements include Child and Family Studies, Education, Public Administration, Conflict Resolution, Science Education and Linguistics, among others. Senior CapstoneThe culmination of the University Studies program is the Capstone requirement. This six-credit, community-based learning course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to apply, in a team context, what they have learned in their major and in their other University Studies courses to a current challenge emanating from the community. The purpose of Capstone courses is to enhance student learning while cultivating crucial life abilities that are important both academically and professionally, establish connections within the larger community, develop strategies for analyzing and addressing problems and work with others trained in fields different from one's own. Please visit the Capstones website for further information. Student Leaders for ServiceHoused within the Center for Academic Excellence, the Student Leaders for Service program intentionally builds students' leadership capacity to serve and learn with nonprofit organizations (including K-12 schools) in the Portland metropolitan area. Students Leaders enroll in a three-term course, commit to nine months of direct service (five to ten hours per week), and receive a small stipend. Student Leaders serve as a key link between the University and the community, making manifest PSU's motto: Let Knowledge Serve the City. Please visit SLS at the Center for Academic Excellence for further information. Sister ProgramsPortland has many sister-city relationships around the globe, fostered through the City of Portland, that have led to the foundation of a variety of PSU international collaborations. Porgrams may include exchanges between faculty and administrators, or short-term visits to Portland. PSU continues to work closely with the mayor's office and sister-city groups to establish and further deepen the international scope of sister programs. Education AbroadPSU currently has over 120 study abroad programs in more than 35 different countries. These programs fall into four categories: 1) direct exchange; 2)consortia programs; 3)faculty-led programs; and 4) international internships. Direct exchange programs allow for the direct exchange of students from partner institutions. Consortia progrmas are one-way programs in which PSU students are able to study through a variety of international consortiums. Faculty-led programs are courses designed by PSU faculty and the Office of International Affairs that are taught in an overseas setting for approximately one to five weeks. Lastly, PSU works with the International Education Experience and Employment program (sponsored by the Oregon University System) to arrange full-time overseas internships. Visiting ScholarThe International Faculty Services (IFS) branch of the Office of International Affairs provides visas and other assistance to visiting scholars and faculty, helping PSU departments meet the legal requirements for hosting and/or employing visiting scholards and faculty. IFS advises international faculty and scholars (and their dependents) about regulations and procedures for maintaing legal status, travel, employment authorization, and other issues. International Memorandum of UnderstandingPSU has many aggreements with instituions around the world. These agreements serve as the foundation of what might become a direct exhange program for students, faculty and administrators. In addition, these agreements allow for the partner institutions to work collaboratively on research projects, conferences, symposia and joint publications. |
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