Center for Community Engagement
Center for Community Engagement
What counts as service hours?
The most common way to serve is by volunteering with a community organization (e.g.
coaching, tutoring, mentoring, helping at nonprofit events, working at food pantries,
schools, nursing homes, etc.). Work done for for-profit businesses or activities that
only benefit a church do not count, and hours are never awarded for donations or items.
Students may earn one hour per animal per day for fostering or doing a day out with
an animal from the animal shelter. Additional details here.
How do I report service hours?
Log in to Get Connected (volunteer.usm.edu) by using the orange USM student button and click “Report Service Hours." You can also
check in/check out at service events but they have to be listed on Get Connected and
you have to sign up for them first. When you report hours, be sure to select Citizen Scholars as one of your User Groups. Here's a video on how to Report Service Hours.
What are considered community-engaged learning experiences?
Qualifying leadership projects are expected to have taken at least one semester to plan, prepare, or execute. The project must have been significant enough for you to learn leadership skills, or to improve or demonstrate leadership skills you already have. It should allow for you to develop leadership skills as someone that an organization is depending on for a significant event or accomplishment to occur.
If the project is a group effort, the student submitting the experience should be considered the head person in charge of the project. No more than one person may receive credit for working on the same community leadership project.
How do I know if my community engaged learning experience will count?
Email us at cceFREEMississippi with information about your experience and we will let you know ASAP if it counts.
Where can I find community-engaged learning experiences to complete?
How do I report my community-engaged learning experiences to the program?
You will need to submit this form when you complete an experience. This is how we will track your completion of program
requirements.
How do I propose an ASL Track to my class?
This is for students who make special arrangements with their professors to add a
service-learning component to a class that is not already designated as ASL. Prior
to the Add/Drop Date of your course, both you and your professor must complete the
service-learning track contract, which outlines :
Once completed, email the form to cceFREEMississippi, drop by 116 Harkins Hall, or mail to Box 5211.
How long do I have to complete the Citizen Scholar requirements?
All service hours must be complete by the end of the semester prior to your graduating semester. Your community-engaged learning experience should also be completed by the end of
the semester prior to your graduating semester, unless granted an exception by CCE
(exceptions are granted due to practicums, service-learning courses, and Honors Theses
occuring during a students' last semester).
Deadlines for Fall Graduates
August 30 of graduating semester - 100 community service hours entered in Get Connected
August 30 of graduating semester - Complete community-engaged learning experience,
unless previously granted exception
October 1 of graduating semester-– Last date to submit community-engaged learning
experience form
October 31 of graduating semester-- Deadline to complete reflective exit interview
Spring graduates
December 31 of prior semester-– 100 community service hours entered in Get Connected
December 31 of prior semester- - Complete community-engaged learning experience,
unless previously granted exception
March 1 of graduating semester-– Last date to submit community-engaged learning experience
form
March 31 of graduating semester- Deadline to complete reflective exit interview