Service Learning and Criminal Justice Students: An Assessment of the Effects of Co-Curricular Pedagogy on Graduation Rates

Abstract

Service learning courses provide meaningful community service for students in order to assist them with the integration of theory and practice. A partnership with local high schools allows students in a large criminal justice program on the west coast to serve as mentors for students who are referred to the program by school counselors and/or social workers. Data on student performance are used to assess whether the exposure to service learning improves matriculation. All criminal justice students who participated in the program were included in this analysis. The impact of this pedagogy is highlighted by using a randomized sample of criminal justice students who have not participated in this particular course. Findings from this program assessment indicate that race and gender are not strong predictors of graduation. Students with high GPAs and those taking service learning courses are more likely than their low GPA and no service learning course counterparts to obtain a degree.

Notes

1. The sample included in this assessment of the effects of service learning on student success was drawn from a program in Criminal Justice that is housed at a large metropolitan university on the west coast with an enrollment of over 27,000 undergraduate students. Fifty seven percent of undergraduates enrolled are female, 43% Caucasian and 57% indicating affiliation with minority groups. Criminal justice is the 2nd most popular choice of majors (7%), with business administration being first (19%). Seventy-seven percent of undergraduate students are between the ages of 18-24, 14% between 25-29, and 9% are 30 or above. Eighty-one percent of undergraduate students at the University are enrolled full time with an average course load of 12.3 units per semester. Upon graduation, students reveal that they have made positive progress in their knowledge of a particular field or discipline (97%), general knowledge (90%) and analytical and problem-solving skills (90%). The Division of Criminal Justice is housed in the College of Health and Human Services at the University, one of ten institutions on the west coast that received the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement classification in 2010.

*Significant at .10 level

**Significant at .05 level

***Significant at the .01 level.

1Model coefficients are reported along with significance. Exponentiated values are reported in brackets.