About
Mission
The Office of Citizenship & Service-Learning (CASL) serves both the community and the university for the benefit of both the academic endeavors of the university and the service goals of the community’s agencies. CASL seeks to enhance experiential learning that results in engaged citizenship and improved academic learning that benefits our democracy.
Locally-recognized Walkable Springfield Project in action | Photo - Theresa Bettmann
Impact
The CASL office continues to experience high growth in number of students engaged in service-learning. Over the course of the 2019-2020 academic year, there were increases in the number of students completing service-learning courses, the number of faculty and service-learning courses offered, and the development of new and sustainable community partnerships.
- Service-Learning Students = 8,924 students participated in one or more service-learning courses
- Total Service-Learning hours provided to community = 160,833
- Value of Service to community @ $23.96/hour = $3,853,599.00 (Independentsector.org)
- Number of Service-Learning course sections = 863 (Introduction, Integrated and Designate/Component Courses)
- MSU Faculty/Staff Offering/Teaching Service-Learning courses = 368 (Introduction, Integrated and Designate/Component Courses)
- Overall Average Retention Rate Semester-to-Semester: 92%
The following graph illustrates the increase in the number of students completing service-learning courses since the 2013-2014 academic year. Of the 8,924 students who completed academic service-learning courses, 2,534 of those students enrolled in and completed more than one academic service-learning course during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Of the unduplicated count of 6,390 students, 5,442 students re-enrolled in MSU courses the following semester. This represents an overall semester-to-semester retention rate of 93% for students who completed academic service-learning courses.
The service-learning office is now able to look at the retention rates, associated with the completion of service-learning courses, for a variety of demographics including students who identified as First-generation students. During the 2019–2020 academic year, 1,839 students (non-duplicated) who identified as First-generation students completed an academic service-learning course. Of those 1,839 students, 1,662 students (undergrad) re-enrolled in coursework for the following semester. This represents a 90% semester-to-semester retention rate for First-generation students.
8,924
Total number of students enrolled in one or more service-learning courses during the 2019-2020 academic year.
93%
Average retention rate of students enrolled overall in service-learning courses.
$3,853,559
Total value of service to the community at $23.96/hour based on Independent Sector during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Springfield community "Red Flag" issues
Missouri State University Service-Learning students continue to work addressing problems and issues in our communities through a variety of signature projects. This year the Citizenship and Service-Learning Office added three new signature partner programs while continuing another year with our ongoing signature projects. Those partner programs included the Nixa Alternative Court Project, the Women’s Medical Respite Program, and Springfield Welcome Home.
Visit the Springfield Community Focus home and our Featured Area Initiatives page for more info about the good our students do around town.