As a BC student, you are required to complete a minimum of 10 hours of service-learning for each year you are enrolled.

Service must address real human/community needs defined by those with the needs.

Service must address human/community needs outside of the college campus. Service may take place on the campus only if it addresses needs outside of the campus and not those of the college or its students, faculty, and staff. Helping a classmate study for a test or taking a prospective student on a campus tour is not service-learning but tutoring a local high school student on our campus is!

Service must extend beyond your private sphere (e.g. family, friends, college, faith community) and address human/community needs in the public realm. Providing childcare in the nursery during services at your local congregation doesn't count (that's still serving in your private sphere). Helping with your congregation's soup kitchen or disaster relief program does count (that's now serving in the public realm).

Service must be provided to a non-profit agency/organization.

Service must be provided without payment.

Service may be done anywhere so long as it meets the above criteria.

Service should be approved in advance by your PDP Professor or Faculty Advisor.

Each service experience must be documented on the PDP Service-Learning Documentation Form.

Service must be followed by structured critical reflection in the PDP Personal Reflective Essay. Check with your PDP Professor or Faculty Advisor about how to do this.

Freshmen must complete their service-learning requirement during the freshman year. Freshmen must also complete at least 5 of their 10-hour requirement during the fall semester.

Students transferring in during the Interterm or Spring Semester are only required to provide 5 hours of service-learning during the remainder of that academic year. A transfer student's service-learning requirement is pro-rated according to the number of semesters enrolled at BC. For example, a student enrolled for a total of 5 semesters must provide a total of 25 hours (5 semesters x 5 hours/semester) of service-learning while at BC.

After the freshman year, service-learning done over the summer may be counted toward the next academic year's PDP requirement.

Students may not count more than 10 hours of service at any single agency in any year. For example, you cannot count more than 10 hours for Habitat's Alternative Spring Break or Relay for Life even if you devote more time than that. On the other hand, you could use 10 of your Habitat hours to fulfill the current year's service-learning requirement and "bank"� your Relay for Life hours toward the requirement for your Senior year (see #15 below).

Students may "bank"� any hours over the required 10 in any year toward their Senior year 10-hour requirement, so long as the banked hours are with a second agency. If you complete your total required hours by the end of your Junior year, you will not need to do any additional service-learning hours during your Senior year (see #14 above).

Dividing the 10-hour service-learning requirement among more than two agencies and/or individuals is strongly discouraged. Benefit your agency more by providing enough service to justify the training and supervision they provide to you.

Providing service related to educational and/or career goals is strongly encouraged. Documented practical experience + good citizenship = a strategic advantage in the highly competitive job and graduate school markets!