Service Learning and Student Volunteerism: Reflections on Institutional Commitment

Drawing upon data from five case studies of institutions with a stated commitment to the integration of service, this article examines how these campuses are incorporating volunteerism and service learning into organizational structures. Findings from the study suggest that tightly coupled systems -- institutions that make centralized decisions and share governance are more apt to institutionalize service than loosely coupled systems. The findings also show that faculty participation in curricular integration of service, presidential support of a public service mission, and funding of service learning offices are instrumental to institutionalization. (author)