Service-learning in Catholic Universities: Results from a Global Mapping Survey

Abstract

Service-learning can be a powerful tool to implement the commitments suggested by Pope Francis under the idea of a Global Compact on Education. The practice is considered high-impact for students. It can also help Catholic higher education institutions support their students’ search for meaning while strengthening their own Catholic identity in a way that respects the diversity of views about faith in the student body. Service-learning may also contribute to a culture of encounter, bringing more tolerance and compassion into the world. Do Catholic universities provide adequate service-learning opportunities to their students? Based on a recent survey, this article provides a diagnostic of the level of institutionalization of service-learning and community engagement activities in Catholic universities globally. While most Catholic universities do have a range of service-learning initiatives, these activities are fully integrated in only one-fourth of the universities that responded to the survey. There is however a lot of interest in doing better, and clear pathways for that purpose.

Keywords:

• service-learning
• social engagement
• Catholic universities
• Catholic social thought
• global mapping
• institutions

Disclaimer

One of the authors is employed by UNESCO. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors only and may not represented the views of UNESCO, the members of its Executive Board, or the countries they represent.

Notes

1 The first two books in the Uniservitate series are Caballero (2020) and Peregalli and Beatriz Isola (2021). Uniservitate is a global initiative to promote service-learning in Catholic Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs). The initiative is funded by Porticus and coordinated by the Latin American Center for Service-Learning (CLAYSS in Spanish). See the website of Uniservitate at https://www.uniservitate.org/, and the website of CLAYSS at https://www.clayss.org.ar/english/.

2 See Wodon (2018, 2020, 2021) on the footprint of Catholic higher education globally. According to the latest statistical yearbook of the Catholic Church (Secretariat of State 2022), 6.6 million students were enrolled globally in Catholic institutions of higher learning in 2020, of which 4.2 million were enrolled in universities.

3 See for example Smith (2021) on trends in religious affiliations in the United States.

4 For examples of how the commitments of the Global Compact on Education are already put in action around the world, see the synthesis of interviews with practitioners and Catholic school leaders in Wodon (2022a).

5 This argument is suggested among others in Wodon (2022b), from which this paragraph is adapted.

6 As mentioned by Pope Francis (2019) in launching the idea of a Global Compact on Education, service is a pillar of the culture of encounter. This is also a key theme in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Francis 2020).

7 The concept of service-learning is mentioned in the Vademecum from the Congregation for Catholic Education (2021) for the Global Compact on Education. Specifically, the term is used in the Instrumentum Laboris.

8 For business schools, a review by Marco-Gardoqui, Eizaguirre, and García-Feijoo (2020) suggests that students may benefit from service-learning through greater social engagement, improved self-esteem, and the acquisition of skills. However, for K12 schools, a review by Filges et al. (2022) using more stringent criteria for the selection of the studies included suggests a lack of fully conclusive evidence on positive impacts. More research remains needed to document the impact of service-learning program and the conditions under which benefits for students may be ensured.

9 On the higher education market, see for example Altbach, Reisberg, and Rumbley (2009) and Arnhold and Bassett (2021), as well as the recent study for the international Federation of Catholuc universities by Mellul (2022). On the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on universities, see UNESCO (2021).

10 See Wodon (2022c) for a discussion. The data from the CIRP survey are available in Stolzenberg et al. (2020). On student motivations and values in Catholic universities globally, see Aparicio Gómez and Tornos Cubillo (2014) and Mabille and Bartroli (2021).

11 We do not use the SEL abbreviation to avoid any confusion between SL/CE and socio-emotional learning (SEL).

12 See the organization’s website at www.porticus.com.

13 As noted by Wodon (2021), most students enrolled in Catholic institutions of higher education globally live in middle and high income countries. By contrast, for K12 education, many students in Catholic schools live in low income countries

14 For a more in-depth survey to assess service-learning in higher education, see for example Furco (2002).

15 On guidelines for institutionalizing service-learning emerging from the Association, see Ribeiro, Aramburuzabala, and Paz-Lourido (2021).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tomás Argarate

Tomás Argarate is an economist. He worked as a project analyst before joining ZIGLA in 2018. Since then, he has participated in different projects for international agencies, private companies and international foundations, including on the systematization and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information, design of data collection tools, data visualization. and elaboration of reports.

Richard Brosse

Richard Brosse is an agronomist, philosopher and theologian. He has spent most of his career in the philanthropic field. He works for Porticus, an organization supporting the philanthropic activities of the Brenninkmeijer family business owners. As Portfolio Manager for “Vital Catholic Thought”, his role consists of developing and monitoring the international strategy of the portfolio.

Agustina Budani

Agustina Budani is an economist with a data mining postgraduate degree. She co-founded ZIGLA in 2009 after years of working as a researcher in social development, economics, and public opinion. She has conducted various analytical studies in both social and private sectors, mostly dealing with impact evaluation and knowledge assessment. She has extensive experience in developing indicator systems that measure the impact of social initiatives across all phases of implementation, analyzing qualitative and quantitative information for diverse agendas such as women empowerment, employment, education, health and social investment.

Rodrigo Bustamante

Rodrigo Bustamante is Senior Advisor for effective philanthropy at Porticus, an organization supporting the philanthropic activities of the Brenninkmeijer family business owners. Previously he was with ZIGLA when the data used for this article were collected.

Leandro Elesgaray

Leandro Elesgaray is an economist who has worked as a sector analyst in consultancy firms, preparing reports for Latin America. He has been part of the strategic planning areas in public organizations at a national level in Argentina. He joined ZIGLA in 2016 working in multidisciplinary teams linked to consulting projects of international scope for companies, cooperation agencies, foundations, social organizations and public agencies directly linked to M&E and strategic knowledge management.

Maximiliano Luft

Maximiliano Luft holds a degree in political science and a postgraduate degree in the field of public policy. He has worked as a facilitator and trainer in several social organizations, and in monitoring social policies in the public sector. He co-founded ZIGLA in 2009 and since then he has been running the Social Investment and Knowledge Management Area, from where he has led the design and implementation of consultancy projects in planning, training and evaluation for social entrepreneurs, companies, and international organizations in many countries around the world.

David Pisano

David Pisano is an economist with a Master’s degree in social development. He has worked as M&E analyst for different areas such as science, technology, and innovation, coordinating projects for public agencies and international development organizations. He joined ZIGLA in 2016, as part of a multidisciplinary team to participate in local and international M&E consultancy projects for international development organizations, nonprofit organizations, governments, and businesses. He is currently leading diverse evaluation and capacity building projects in Latin America.

María Rosa Tapia

María Rosa Tapia has a degree in Education and a Master's degree in Educational Technology. She is the “Uniservitate” Programme (Service-Learning in Catholic Higher Education) Coordinator at the Latin American Center for Service-Learning (CLAYSS). At CLAYSS she has coordinated the Youth Volunteer Program for the Americas “PaSo Joven”, Distance Education Courses and Solidarity Schools Support Programs. She taught service-learning courses and workshops for educational institutions and social organizations worldwide.

Nieves Tapia

Nieves Tapia has a degree in History and is the founder and director of the Latin American Center for Service-Learning (CLAYSS). In 1997 she initiated and coordinated the national service-learning programme of the Argentine Ministry of Education. She is a founding member of the International Association for Research in Service-Learning and was appointed member of the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES). Author of numerous books and articles, she lectured at universities and organizations worldwide and has served as jury of numerous national and international educational awards.

Tamara Ulla

Tamara Ulla holds a BA in international relations and a Master’s degree in development practice. She has worked as a M&E analyst, evaluation manager and expert and as a regional consultant in knowledge management for different areas such as international development and humanitarian aid, migration, human rights, gender equality, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. She has worked for a diversity of international donors and implementing partners and has proficiency in working on multi-stakeholder projects liaising with a diversity of actors while building strategic partnerships in local and international set-ups.

Quentin Wodon

Quentin Wodon is Director of UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa. Previously, he worked at the World Bank, including as Lead Economist, Lead Poverty Specialist, and manager of the unit on values and development.