Service Learning Courses Foster Interdepartmental Collaboration

From Angela Yang-Handy, Student Affairs: This semester, the students in BIO 495: Senior Seminar, taught by Susan Whittemore, are working with the students in Craig Lugenbeel’s CS 340: Internet Programming class to develop a website for KSC’s Biology Department. In addition, this collaborative service learning project is coordinated by a student with prior service learning experience who is currently enrolled in Mike Hanrahan’s CS 495: Seminar course.

The Biology students are working with the Biology faculty to choose features for the website and are researching and writing the content. The Computer Science students are providing the Biology students with guidelines and training on how best to develop the content for the site and helping them choose a suitable website design. Together, the BIO 495: Senior Seminar and CS 340: Internet Programming classes wrote a joint grant proposal to submit to the Pepsi Partnership Grant Program to obtain funding to purchase a server. This three-way interdepartmental service-learning project is a model for on-campus service and collaboration, and its success is attributable to these three faculty members’ and their students’ investment in and commitment to this project.

If you are interested in learning more about the Keene State College Service Learning Program, please refer to the program’s website or e-mail Angela Yang-Handy, Service Learning Coordinator, at ayanghandy@keene.edu.