Questions for Consideration in Planning CBL courses (For Faculty and Unit Heads)

While this list is not exhaustive for each discipline, it provides an opportunity for Unit Heads and faculty to discuss and think through faculty preparation, student preparedness, course learning objectives and their alignment with program expectations, partnership and community considerations, unit and university resources.

1. Faculty Preparation
   1. What reading, discussion or faculty development experience does the instructor have in planning, partnering, and engaging in the pedagogy of community based learning?
   2. Who is an identified faculty mentor for this work?
   3. Does the syllabus meet the criteria for CBL?
2. Student Preparation     
   1. What student development has occurred to prepare students for this experience?
   2. What is their knowledge base regarding the community partner and constituents targeted in the CBL project?
   3. What competencies do students need prior to their engagement? (professional, cultural, disciplinary)
3. Learning Objectives
   1. What are the identified course objectives related to the community based learning?
   2. How do these objectives align with course and program expectations? How do these cbl aims align with student and professional development?
4. Unit, College, and University Resources
   1. What additional resources are required from students (Time? Money? Travel? )
   2. What unit, college, and/or university resources are required for faculty engaged in the CBL work? (Time? Money? Travel? )
5. Faculty teaching scholarship and service
   1. How well does this high impact teaching practice integrate with the workload, as well as values and reward system of the unit and college? (teaching, scholarship, service)
   2. Have GVSU HRRC requirements related to any course based research been reviewed?
6. Risk Management
   1. Review the potential risks for faculty, students and community related to the CBL work.
   2. Are there emergency, health, and safety considerations? If so, what is the contingency plan for these situations? Have students been prepared with regard to risk?
   3. Are there issues of health compliance or other policies already in place at GVSU?
   4. Review issues of confidentiality for community partners and constituents.