Service Learning in a Post-Katrina Environment

Although many of its structures and facilities suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, Delgado Community College was able to offer on‐line courses during that semester and reestablish its traditional course offerings in the spring of 2006. Delgado's enrollment in fall 2006 made it the largest higher education institution in New Orleans with 11,927 students returning – more than sixty percent of its previous enrollment. This was also the semester that a small group of interested faculty and staff began to research service-learning under the direction of Warren Puneky, Dean of Business and Technology. Since that time, a service-learning committee, two part‐time coordinators, Linda Kieffer and Lynn Robertson, and eight enthusiastic faculty members were recruited. In an effort to further develop the initiative, three college‐wide training sessions were presented as well as a six week faculty seminar series to research and discuss ways to implement service-learning. Seven projects in different disciplines were implemented in the spring 2007 semester through funding from the Community College National Center for Community Engagement's Accent on Student Success: Engaged Together in Service grant, with the overall goal of enhancing student learning through community engagement. This goal not only supports the college's mission of preparing its students to be productive and responsible citizens, but also involves them in the rebuilding efforts that are so critical to the well‐being of the New Orleans community. [authors]