Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students in Zachary Schaefer’s, PhD, Spring 2018 organizational communication course learned first-hand the mutually beneficial outcomes that can be achieved through high impact community engagement practices as encouraged by Chancellor Randy Pembrook.
For their Senior Assignment, the 28 students were tasked with completing a service learning project where they served as consultants for a local organization. Six teams contributed more than 350 service hours to four local non-profit organizations as they designed and implemented plans that met the operational or programmatic needs of each client.
“This project was mutually beneficial for the students and the nonprofit community organizations,” said Schaefer, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Applied Communication Studies. “The students contributed to these organizations that are often constrained in terms of human capital and resources. In doing so, they gained experience in helping find, frame and fix real world problems.”
Schaefer’s challenge to his students was to think of themselves not as students, but as young professionals.
“Once hired, students are not students anymore,” he explained. “They need to be contributing members of an organization who can compile, analyze and synthesize information to do their jobs well and make a positive impact in their role, department, company and community.”
The participating clients included Gateway 180, HEM Ministry, SIUE Student Government and The Esquiline, including its Soul to Sole, CareMerge and Talent Acquisition Assessment programs.
“This experience helped us think outside the box and become more comfortable with finding and meeting a client’s needs,” said project lead Kacie Hilt, of Effingham. Hilt and her teamed worked with Dr. Diane Hayes of HEM Ministry.
“We were thrown into the lion’s den, so to speak, at the beginning of the semester as finding a client was difficult enough. But the opportunity to lay out a project plan with Dr. Hayes and work toward implementing it was a huge step in helping us find our passions. She has a great heart and needed help and hands that we were happy to provide.”
James Moss, of Belleville, was the team lead working with Gateway 180, a homeless shelter in St Louis.
“Our main objective was to help the clients at Gateway 180 obtain skills that would help them in the workplace and in their daily lives,” Moss explained. “We conducted five workshops focusing on a variety of skills including conflict management, budgeting time and money, and negotiation.”
“It was great to apply the knowledge and skills we have acquired at SIUE and teach them to others in need,” he added. “It proved just how practical our degrees are.”
“There is no better way to truly learn all the skills and theories they have read about in class than by going through an in-depth experiential learning endeavor,” Schaefer concluded. “Through this experience, these students fulfilled SIUE’s learning goals and exhibited professionalism, critical thinking and action, and community service.”
Photo: Partnering with Gateway 180 for their Senior Assignment were SIUE corporate and organizational communication students (back L-R) Maria Miller, Joey Miles, James Moss, Austin Glendinning, (front L-R) Bri Leifker, Sam Butler and Mariah Vollmer.