FLORIDA CAMPUS COMPACT GLOSSARY

Glossary of Service-Learning Terms and Acronyms


AACC: American Association of Community Colleges

AACU: American Association of Colleges and Universities

AAHE: American Association of Higher Education

Academic Component: The classroom portion of service learning which is generally facilitated by an instructor. While in the classroom, students discuss and write about their community service experience and gain knowledge and information to improve their volunteer participation.

AmeriCorps: The national service program available youth and adults 17 and older. In return for serving their communities, participants can earn money toward their college education.

Agency: The establishment or organization which hosts the community service work. Community service is generally performed at not-for-profit or governmental agencies; when community service is performed at a school, the school is considered the agency.

Beneficiary: The individual, agency, group or community who receives services directly from the community service participant and/or who benefits from services provided.

CAO: Chief Academic Officer

CCNCCE: Community College National Center for Community Engagement

Character education: The effort to develop "good character" in students through the practice and teaching of moral values and decision-making.

CNCS: Corporation for National and Community Service

Community-based service: Organizations outside formal a governmental framework that provide services and opportunities to meet the needs of children, youth and/or adults in the community.

Community-based Organization (CBO): A nonprofit agency which is representative of the community which it serves, generally through the provision of human and other community services.

Court-ordered Community Service: Also known as community restitution or community service orders, court-ordered community service involves the assignment of persons convicted of criminal acts to nonprofit or governmental agencies. Community service orders usually specify a number of hours over a time period established by the court and is imposed as an alternative to incarceration.

CSD: Community Service Director

Direct Service: Work directed at the achievement of the agency's primary mission which often involves the provision of services directly to agency clients. Preparing meals at a soup kitchen, cleaning up a neighborhood playground, working as an aid in a child care center, tutoring, are all examples of direct service.

ELC: Education Leadership Colloquium

FACU: Florida Association of Colleges and Universities

FIPSE: Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education

FTE: Full Time Equivalent

HBCU: Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ICUF: Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida

IHEP: The Institute for Higher Education Policy

Indirect Service: Provision of skills and/or work to help an agency perform its functions or to impact upon issues of concern to the agency and the clients/community that it serves. Examples of indirect service including setting up a computer program for agency use, helping with clerical tasks and lobbying of funding for HIV/AIDS research for an agency which works in the field of HIV prevention and education.

Intergenerational program: Programs which bring together participants of different ages. While applicable to relationships between any two generations, the term "intergenerational" is today generally used to connote relationships between children/adolescents and older adults. Intergenerational service brings together youth and adults to work jointly on service projects using the talents and energies of each group to complement and support the other.

Learn and Serve America: A national initiative available to states and localities which integrate service or volunteer work with learning. Learn and Service America programs have been implemented through schools (K-12 School- based programs), community agencies (Community-Based Organization programs) and colleges and universities (Higher Educational programs).

Mandatory service: Community service which is required as part of an academic program, usually high school graduation. School-mandated community service may set required hours, type of service and/or duration. This type of community-service is to be distinguished from court-ordered service defined above.

Mentoring: Mentoring refers to a one-to-one relationship between a more experienced person and a younger person involving mutual commitment, caring and trust. While not a requirement, many mentoring programs encompass community service learning activities. Mentors help identify opportunities and/or work along side young people in volunteer activities.

Not-for-Profit Agency: A non-governmental organization whose purpose is to address human, environmental and other community concerns and needs. Most not-for-profit agencies are tax-exempt and tax-deductible and classified as 501(c)(3) institutions. Not-for-profit agencies cannot sell stock, declare dividends or pay their officers or directors other than through salary.

NYLC: National Youth Leadership Council

PLC: Presidential Leadership Colloquium

Reflection: Contemplation and consideration regarding the significance of the community service work performed; evaluation of the value and meaning of the specific community service as it relates to a larger context. Reflection can take place on an individual or group basis and connect community service to one's community, one's values and the impact it has on both the individual performing the work as well as the larger society.

RFP: Request For Proposals

School-to-Work: A system of school-based learning, work-based learning and activities connecting the two in order to prepare youth for the high wage, high skill careers of today's and tomorrow's global economy.

Service: Work done for the benefit of another person, group of persons, community or agency.

Service learning: The combination of community service involving active participation in organized service to meet the needs of a community with formal, educational or learning experiences which enable the volunteer to draw lessons about their community service experience. Learning activities are generally integrated into a school's academic curriculum. The term "service learning" is also used to connote the opportunity to learn skills during the course of service.

Stipend: Payment to volunteer to help offset the costs of service.

Volunteer: A person who donates or gives his or her time and talents to provide services to other people, or to the community-at-large.

Volunteer Site Coordinator: An individual who recruits, trains and supervises volunteers. May also be referred to as a community service site supervisor.