Cultivating a Civic Mindset: Assessing Public Relations Student Perceptions of Service Learning and Community Involvement Beyond the Course

Authors

  • Christopher J McCollough Columbus State University

Keywords:

Community Engagement, Volunteerism, Longitudinal Outcomes, Leadership

Abstract

Literature in service-learning offers examples of professional, social, and civic value to students, faculty, and community. The literature has not fully examined the impact of student participation on their levels of civic involvement among graduates several years removed from the coursework. This study is a case analysis of seven years of graduates with public relations course experience to examine graduates’ perceptions of the value of service-learning projects, and how this translates to community engagement.

Author Biography

Christopher J McCollough, Columbus State University

Dr. Chris McCollough is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. His primary areas of expertise are in the fields of public relations and political communication. In addition to scholarship on public sector communication, Dr. McCollough is a productive scholar on the topic of teaching and learning through high impact learning practices, specifically in service-learning. His previous work can be found in the Journal of Public Relations Education, Public Relations Journal, as well as here in the Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education. He also has upcoming work in the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, and Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership.

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Published

07/01/2020

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2020)

Section

Insights, Case Studies, and Applications

License

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