Emersion Learning at St. Bonaventure University: Service Learning on the Bleeding Edge

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Emersion Learning at St. Bonaventure University
Service Learning on the Bleeding Edge

• Susan B. Anders, PhD, CPA
• David D. Blake, PhD, OFM
• Charles J. Coate, PhD, CPA
• Suzanne M. Kush, CSSF
• James W. Mahar, PhD
• Todd S. Palmer, PhD, JD

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Introduction

• Emersion learning involves an intense service
  activity combined with a significant interaction
  with a new culture.
• Emersion learning has evolved at St. Bonaventure
  University (Bonas) as a major element of the
  Pacioli Project.
• The Pacioli Project is the name given the efforts
  to enhance the Franciscan Element of the
  educational experience at the Bonas School of
  Business.

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Introduction

• Bonas Mission Statements (Franciscan) Values
• Discovery
• Pursue intellectual, spiritual, personal growth
• Sharing the adventure of inquiry
• Both within and outside the classroom
• Community
• An inclusive community
• Enhance the quality in the world around us
• Reaching out to the disadvantaged
• Individual Worth
• Goodness of life and worth of every individual
• Treat allin community with dignity
• Empower all in community

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Introduction

• Bonas Statement of Distinction
• Vitally engaging service learning environments
• Mindful of Franciscan Values
• Individual Dignity
• Community Inclusiveness
• Service to Others

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Franciscan Emersion Values

• Reconciling Franciscan Values and Business School
  Education
• A Franciscan
• Business School
• is not an
• oxymoron

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Franciscan Emersion Values

• The Culture from which Francis and his early
  followers emerged
• conscious break with more obvious injustices
  of the growing market economy of their day, which
  was based on the appropriation of power and
  wealth by a few to the exclusion of many. Their
  choice of poverty was a choice of discipleship,
  that is, to relate to one another and to their
  neighbors after the manner of Jesus. It was a
  conscious choice for a more fraternal world, a
  more human world. John Corriveau, OFM Cap

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Franciscan Emersion Values

• Franciscan Value of Fraternity
• Individual Dignity
• Community Inclusivity
• Service
• from the perspective of relationship

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Franciscan Emersion Values

• Discovery
• Creating a microcosm of a fraternal world

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Student Motivations for Service

• A summary of
• Business Students Motivation and Predisposition
  for Service
• by
• Fr. Gregory Jakubowicz
• Washington Theological Union
• Charles J. Coate
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business

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Student Motivations for Service

• Motivation
• Empirically investigate self-reported interests
  and motivations for Service Activities primarily
  among college freshmen
• Sample
• Approximately 200 students
• 80 were second semester freshmen
• Questionnaires
• Interest in activities (professional,
  traditional, service)
• Motivation for service involvement

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Student Motivations for Service

• Popular and Unpopular Activities
• Professional/Traditional
• Popular trips to NYC or Chicago Exchange (50)
• Unpopular bands, dance teams
• Service
• Popular blood drive, student mentor (33)
• Unpopular parish volunteers, music ministry (5)

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Student Motivations for Service

• Factor Analysis of Activities
• A data reduction technique
• Utilizes the co-variance of variables
• 10 factors explain 65 of the variance
• 5 Professional
• 5 Service
• Factors by function or student talents
• Professional
• Media
• Good Deeds
• Food kitchen or drives

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Student Motivations for Service

• Factor Analysis of Activities
• 5 factors explain 58 of the variance
• 3 factors explain 44
• Religious/spiritual motivation
• Social motivationsexisting group
• Social motivationsmeet new people

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Student Motivations for Service

• Cluster Analysis of Motivations
• A technique for grouping similar data (similar
  groups of students)
• Two 5-cluster models
• Best model is 4 clusters
• Respondents
• Cluster 1 Low interest in service 19
• Cluster 2 High interest in service 24
• Clusters 3 4 Moderate interest
• 3 Sense of duty 32
• 4 Social motivation 25

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Student Motivations for Service

• Summary Take-away for Student Involvement
• 20 to 25 of students surveyed were looking for
  service activities
• Another 40 to 60 of students were willing to
  participate in service activities
• Students selected service activities based on
  their skills or the function
• Social forces played a major role in attracting
  those willing to participate

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School of Business Co-Curricular Programs

• Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and
  Financial Literacy (Fin Lit)
• BonaResponds

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Students in Free Enterprise

• A Presentation on
• STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE
• By
• Todd S. Palmer
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Background
• International student program
• A head for business. A heart for the world.TM
• SBU chapter formed in 2003
• 5 of teams nationwide
• SBU Membership
• Students 70 to 100
• Faculty/staff 8
• Majors from across the University
• 50 outside the School of Business

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Key Core Values
• Economic empowerment
• Entrepreneurial awareness
• Global awareness
• Emphasis on building 21st Century skill sets
• Leadership
• Project management
• Team building
• Conflict management

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Flagship (International) Project
• Bahamas Entrepreneurial Service Trip
• 5th annual 10 day trip
• 45 to 60 participants
• 10 schools/2,000 students

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Other International Projects
• Other Bahamas Projects
• Junkanoo Center
• Camp Bonaventure (6 weeks)
• Student Teaching Program
• Uganda Entrepreneurial Service Trip
• Micro-loan program

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Local Projects Targeting Adults
• McKean (Detention) Re-entry Program
• Advancing Computer Effectiveness (ACE)

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Local Education Projects
• Community Blood Bank Social Entrepreneurship
  Challenge
• Wooly Willy Toymania

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Students in Free Enterprise

• ExampleLocal Education Project
• Stone Soup
• Year-long project connecting two classes
• Olean, NY
• Hunters Point, Bahamas
• Cultural connectivity
• Creation of a producttee shirt, cook book

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Franciscan Values
• Individual Worth
• Tony and Dahmer
• Community
• Widening the circles (within and outside)
• Changing the system (education models)
• Discovery
• Learning environment
• Emersion in culture
• Intellectual contributions

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Intellectual Contributions
• Franciscan Based Service Learning The
  Evolution of a Service experience, The AFCU
  Journal A Franciscan Perspective on Higher
  Education, 2008, 5, 134147 (Charles J. Coate and
  Todd S. Palmer).
• Presents SIFE 10 day service trips to Bahamas
• Relates trip to Franciscan traditions and values
• (community, relationship, hardship, hospitality)

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Students in Free Enterprise

• Intellectual Contributions
• Understanding the Learning on an Emersion
  Experience Service Trip, Presented at The 14th
  International Business Ethics Conference, Fall
  2007 (Charles J. Coate, Sarah M. McCue, and Todd
  S. Palmer).
•  
• Student reported learning and experiences
• Classification of reports
• Culture, Group, Self
• Observation, Interaction, Relationship/Reflection

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• A Presentation on
• VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE
• AND
• FINANCIAL LITERACY
• By
• Susan B. Anders
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• History and Mission
• Cattaraugus County, NYS
• Rural, Appalachian poverty Population about
  80,000
• No IRS office to assist taxpayers
• Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clients
• Average income 11,000
• Average tax refund
• 2008 Tax Season 1,300
• 2004 through 2007 800 to 900
• Use refunds to pay off debts, buy necessities
• Want help with get out of debt, fix bad credit

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

• History and Mission
• Initiated by IRS across the U.S. in 1970.
• New York State began its own program, partnering
  with the IRS, in 2003.
• SBU program began in 2004 (2nd Univ in NYS
  program)
• Mission Provide free taxpayer assistance, and
  free tax return preparation and e-filing, so that
  low-income taxpayers can receive 100 of their
  tax refunds, without having to pay for
  assistance.

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

• Background
• Cattaraugus Co. (80,000 residents)
• Tax Returns Refunds
• Tax Season 2008 450 600,000
• 2004 through 2007 550 1,000,000
• Cumulative total 1,000 1,600,000
• Tax Season 2008 over 2,000 volunteer hours
• 25 students, 2 alumni
• Susan Anders

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

• Background
• Houston, TX (Spring Break Service Trips)
• Tax Returns Refunds
• 2008 60 60,000
• 2007 40 40,000
• Cumulative total 100 100,000
• 2008 4 students, Susan Anders
• 2007 5 students, Susan Anders

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Financial Literacy

• History and Mission
• U.S. Government, Banks, and other organizations
  began studying the financial literacy problem in
  early 2000s.
• American Institute of Certified Public
  Accountants launched its new 360 Degrees of
  Financial Literacy program in 2004.
• Bona program began in 2005.
• Mission Teach low-income people how to manage
  their money to help them achieve their financial
  goals.

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Financial Literacy

• Background
• AICPA materials are aimed at middle and upper
  economic classes
• Susan Anders and Tim Crawford researched and
  wrote materials to teach low-income people
• Developed two-part workshop, with workbooks,
  handouts, and homework
• Presented a total of 11 seminars to 72
  participants
• Pre-tests and Post-tests, with reported
  improvements

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• Key Core Values
• Bring economic benefits to community
• Free tax return preparation and filing
• Knowledge of how to manage finances
• Provide students with clinical experience
• Technical tax return preparation skills
• Problem solving and research skills
• Interview and communication skills

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• Franciscan Values
• Individual worth
• Clients are treated with dignity
• Community
• Students get to experience the lives of the
  working poor and the disadvantaged
• Discovery
• Students develop technical, problem solving, and
  communication skills
• Intellectual contributions

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• Intellectual Contributions Volunteer Income Tax
  Assistance
• Published
• A Student Perspective on the IRS VITA
  Program, The CPA Journal, February 2005, 4447
  (Patrick E. Doyle, Michael W. Matt, and Bradley
  T. Owens).
• Work in progress
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Community
  Impact, (Susan B. Anders and Carol M. Fischer).

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Financial
Literacy

• Intellectual Contributions Financial Literacy
• Published
• Financial Literacy CPAs Can Make a
  Difference, The CPA Journal, September 2005, 69
  (Susan B. Anders and Timothy M. Crawford)
• Work in progress
• Real Results Financial Literacy in Action
  (Susan B. Anders and Timothy M. Crawford).

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BonaResponds

• A Presentation on
• The BonaResponds Program
• By
• James W. Mahar
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business

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BonaResponds

• Mission
• Help others
• Key Core Values
• Aim to make things better, not perfect, but
  better
• Work with other organizations invite others to
  work with BonaResponds
• Be open to both campus and wider community
• Do not push religion keep religion simple
  the golden rule

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BonaResponds

• Background
• Since Katrina (Fall 2005), BonaResponds has
• Provided approximately 500 million in equivalent
  donated services
• Made 8 trips to the Gulf Coast with 500
  volunteers
• Provided relief services in Enterprise, AL
  Bucyrus, OH Gassville, AR Newton County, MO
  Buffalo, NY Olean, NY Bradford, PA

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BonaResponds

• Emersion Projects
• Fall Break Trips 3 to 4 days 25 to 30
  volunteers
• Winter Break Trips 9 to 11 days 25 to 30
  volunteers
• Spring Break Trips 50 to 70 volunteers
  (exception2006)
• Emersion experience, distance, Spartan
  accommodations, daily reflection
• Community growth opportunities

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BonaResponds

• Local and Regional Projects
• Fall and Spring work days (50 to 100)
• Provide relief efforts as needed
• (Buffalo ice storm October 2006)
• Single day experience, brief reflection
• Minimal commitment for many volunteers

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BonaResponds

• Franciscan Values
• Individual dignity
• Help as Brothers and Sisters
• Community
• Widening the circle, participation invitation
• Outreach to those in unexpected need
• Discovery
• Learning experience/culture
• Intellectual contribution

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• A Summary of
• An Analysis of Students Motivation for and
  Experience of Katrina Relief (work in progress)
• by
• Fr. David D. Blake
• St. Bonaventure University, Dept. of Sociology
• and Charles J. Coate
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• A study to provide insight into the motivation to
  attend and experience an 8-day service trip
  (March 2006).
• 5 sites on the Gulf Coast
• 200 students 80 faculty, staff, alumni, friends

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• Data from New Orleans, St. Bernards Parish, and
  Long Beach sites
• 50 business students, 50 other majors
• Pre-Trip Questions
• Reasons for going on trip?
• What do you expect to get from trip?
• Post-Trip Questions
• What did you get out of trip?
• Memorable experiences?
• Number of friends before and after trip?

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• ResultsPre-Trip
• Reasons to go
• To help
• Experience, Friends, Self-growth
• Expected from trip
• Experience (personal and observational)
• Friends (old and new)
• Self-growth (confidence or learning)

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• ResultsPost-Trip
• New/stronger/more friends and friendships/bonds
• Friendship/bonds persisted after return
• Realization of community forming and being part
  of a community to serve
• References to a particular person served
• Broad range in intensity of comments and
  experiences

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• Results Contrast Pre- and Post-Trip
• Pre-Trip responses focus on service (to help)
• Post-Trip responses focus on community
  (fraternity)
• The service is a given
• The service plus the structure of the trip
  created the environment for fraternity

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Katrina Emersion Experience

• Franciscan Values
• Individual Dignity
• Within and outside Bonas group
• Community
• Widening the circle within and outside
• Outreach
• Change in structure of the learning environment
• Discovery
• Culture, Adventure, Experience

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Summary

• Stories of Francis and early Franciscans and how
  they relate to
• Business School Programs

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Summary

• Concluding Remarks
• Questions???
• Sending forth with tau crosses