Submitting a Course or Independent Study
To ensure quality service learning experiences for our students and community partners, and to ensure that faculty members utilizing service learning pedagogy are well-supported, Tulane University requires that all service-learning courses undergo a peer-review process. Whether you are interests in submitting or renew a traditional service-learning course or developing an independent study course for a small group of students, these academic experiences must be submitted for review.
Faculty interested in teaching a CPS service learning course should complete the online application form and submit it to CPS at least one semester prior to implementation.
- If your course has never been taught (with or without service learning), it should first be submitted to your respective school for review and approval. Your department is responsible for submitting the course (without service learning) to the registrar.
- Once approved or while undergoing approval by your school, submit your service learning syllabus and proposal to CPS's online application form. The Curriculum Committee of CPS and Newcomb Tulane College (NTC) will offer peer review of service learning courses in an ongoing process. They will make suggestions for improvement and review revised syllabi. Faculty representing CPS and NTC Curriculum Committee will review the proposals and will work with CPS to address any queries or concerns. Once CPS has resolved any discrepancies and/or requested revisions from faculty, the proposals will receive the final approval.
- Once the sections have been approved, CPS will inform the registrar's office of the service learning sections to be listed in the schedule of courses. At this point the class will be listed in the course listings as a service learning course that fulfills (one tier of) the Public Service Graduation Requirement.
The Center appreciates faculty members who make an ongoing commitment to community by offering service-learning courses each year. Each semester, all submitted courses must be renewed. If substantial changes to either the structure of the course (i.e., learning objectives, evaluation procedures, etc.) or the service activity have been made, the course will be re-evaluated by the Joint Newcomb Tulane College - Center for Public Service Curriculum Committee.
The deadlines for renewing service-learning proposals for the Spring semester are usually in October, and for the Fall offerings in early March. All previously taught courses can be renewed here.
Through the public service independent study option, CPS encourages faculty members to utilize students in their community-based research or projects. This option provides students the opportunity to conduct impactful work in the community while gaining course credit and completing the 2nd tier of the public service graduation requirement. The faculty-developed independent studies are typically faculty driven research projects that utilize multiple undergraduate students are research or project assistants. Faculty interested in this option should complete the online submission form. Please email Dr. Myriam Huet with any questions.
Deadlines to submit petitions:
- April 15th to get reviewed by the end of the Spring semester
- November 15th to get reviewed by the end of the Fall semester
