Student Handbook

THE SERVICE PRACTICUM STUDENT HANDBOOK

SERVICE LEARNING DEPARTMENT STAFF

Doug Epp
Director of Service Learning
Internship Contact
Doug.Epp@columbiabc.edu

Adel Klassen
Service Learning Associate
Service Practicum Contact
Adel.Klassen@columbiabc.edu

LETTER FROM THE SERVICE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

Dear Columbia Student,

We are excited that you are here at Columbia! As you attend classes, connect with new friends, participate in chapels, and do all the other things that are part of a CBC experience, don’t be surprised by what God wants to do in and through you this year. We have been praying that you will have an awesome time here at CBC, and in particular that your Service Practicum experience will exceed your wildest dreams.

Your CBC education is more than just classroom learning. We want you not only to study, but also to live out what you’re learning by putting it into practice. After all, what good is it to know the Truth, but not to "walk in the Truth;" to study it, but not do it (James 1:22-25)? We are convinced that your CBC education would not be complete without putting into practice what you are learning in the classroom. On the other hand we also know that your life experiences will raise issues and create questions that you in turn will bring back to the classroom with you.

The Service Learning Department is here to encourage you to live a life of ministry and service. We believe that every follower of Jesus is a minister and when it comes to ministry, the sky is the limit. Yes, ministry is also a required part of your CBC academic learning experience, but we want it to flow out of your heart, as a way of life. The bonus is - you also get college credit for it!

CBC Service Practicum credit is processed according to certain accreditation and academic guidelines. This Handbook is designed to help you successfully complete your practical ministry requirements for the first two academic years.

Here’s to working together with you to help you have the most effective and meaningful ministry God wants you to have! We are excited to see what great things God is going to do in and through you this year.

In Christ,

The Service Learning Staff
Doug & Adel

INTRODUCTION TO SERVICE PRACTICUM (SP)

Columbia Bible College is all about “Preparing People for Life and Ministry”. To make this true, we must offer more than just classroom teaching. Practical training in real life situations teaches you things a textbook never can and real life experience in turn causes you to seek answers to questions you may not have thought of if you hadn’t gained the experience. Your formal education informs your life experience and your life experience motivates your education. Your study and integration of truth in everyday life must go hand in hand. In fact, teaching without practical experience produces an incomplete education.
Jesus Himself, the Master Teacher, gave His disciples service assignments as a necessary part of their training (Matt 10:5-11:1; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6). Learning by doing is quite often the best way. The SP program is designed to provide you with the opportunity to do just that; to take classroom knowledge (theory) and apply it to real life situations (practice). We truly want you to “learn to live well”.
Service is the focus of the SP program. It is something done with someone else in mind, something for the benefit of others. Service is other oriented, not self-oriented. The focus of service is giving not getting! Yet, it is interesting how God deeply blesses as we follow His pattern for spiritual service - "the Spirit of God using the Word of God through a person of God" (I Corinthians 3:5-10; I Thessalonians 1:5). Ultimately, we desire to see you develop a servant’s heart that will invade and affect your whole life; now and after Columbia!
Glossary

Service Learning Department– The department at CBC that oversees both the Service Practicum and Internship programs.
Service Practicum (SP) Program – The practical field education component that all first and second year CBC students participate in.
Internship Program – The practical field education component that all BA grads* must complete as part of their third and/or fourth year of studies.

* The only exception is for ECE students who complete a number of program specific practicum to fulfill the internship component of their graduation requirements.

THE MISSION OF COLUMBIA BIBLE COLLEGE

The mission of Columbia Bible College is to prepare people for life and ministry. The College seeks to affirm students’ gifts and equip them for effective ministries in their homes, churches, and communities. The program of the College is governed by this mission and is guided by the following objectives:

Spiritual Formation: To develop Christian character in the lives of students through understanding, internalizing and applying the teachings of the Bible and Christian theology. Prayer, classroom instruction, service and community life are vital to this process.
Christian Character: To teach students practical obedience to Jesus Christ through the application of biblical principles to develop godly character, biblical values, healthy choices and lifestyle integrity.
Foundation for Growth: To develop skills in biblical interpretation, which provide the students with the basis for continued personal study, instruction of others and for lifelong usefulness and growth.
Preparation for Ministry: To equip workers and train students to serve as a worker/leader in practical ministry (lay or vocational) in the church and in the world. Based on the instruction provided, the student has adequate preparation for graduate level studies in seminary or university. The student is also challenged to respond to world mission and the need to share the gospel with peoples of all nations.
Intellectual Development and Biblical Worldview: To increase the students’ breadth of knowledge and understanding of the secular world through studies of a general nature from a biblical perspective. Students should be able to evaluate other worldviews, from clear personal convictions and help others develop a Christian worldview. To that end, students are exposed to intensive biblical studies, supportive general studies, and the ministry preparation that provides the framework to understand and guide people in their ministry assignments.

Another way of looking at these guiding principles is to say that Columbia is:

Christ-Centred, Jesus is the focal point of all studies. The Christian life is foremost submission to him.
Bible-Based, the foundation for academics. All courses are based on Scripture to enable students to develop a biblical worldview where they will be effective witnesses in whatever vocation they choose.
Life-Related, designed to provide the practical dimension through which to grow as truth is applied to real life situations.
Mission-Driven, which means giving priority to the commission of Jesus "to make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19-20).
Church-Focused, that is, giving recognition to the central place the church has in the plan of God.

THE MISSION OF THE SERVICE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

The Service Learning Department oversees the SP and Internship programs and our mission is to integrate knowledge with practical experience. We facilitate the effective fulfillment of the preparation for ministry element of the college’s mission statement, by providing service opportunities, training, and evaluation for students to effectively integrate faith and learning in practical settings.

SERVICE LEARNING DEPARTMENT PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES

The primary purpose of the Service Learning Department is to provide practical "hands on" ministry experiences to train students for a lifetime of fruitful ministry wherever God may lead them. At Columbia, Service Learning is an integral part of the total academic program, under the supervision of the Academic Dean, and administered by a team of qualified faculty and staff.
To fulfill its purpose, the Service Learning Department maintains and strives to achieve certain objectives. The objectives specify how the department itself has determined to meet its mission, and what it is accomplishing in the lives of students. There are four primary departmental objectives and three primary student objectives.

Departmental Objectives:

To administrate and communicate a comprehensive Service Learning program, which provides meaningful practical experience and develops a servant’s heart in students.
To provide a variety of Service Learning opportunities compatible with students’ interests, gifts, study focus and life goals.
To helps students discover a personal sense of purpose, develop confidence in personal gifts and abilities while testing possible career/ministry options
To help students recognize the value of service others and the importance of commitment, punctuality, and communication.
To challenge students to grow
To assist, advise, supervise, and evaluate students in their service experiences.
To document each student's SP.

Student Objectives:

To love/serve God and other people.
To develop skills and determine personal strengths and gifts.
To receive specialized service training.
To understand the value of service in the local church/community.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE SERVICE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

To plan and administrate effectively a complete SP and Internship program, there are certain assumptions and principles that form the overall philosophy of the Service Learning Department. These theologically, educationally, and ministry oriented convictions provide the foundation for determining the actual procedures and policies of the Service Learning Department and program.
At Columbia Bible College, the Service Learning Department has the following philosophical and Biblical priorities and beliefs:

All committed Christians should, as a natural part of life, love and serve God and other people.
All ministry / service should naturally flow out of a heart-felt love for God - a service to Him and for Him. Loving God means loving people, serving God means serving people. The greatest demonstration of obedience to God is to love Him and people (Matthew 22:34-40). The external measurement of an internal love for God will be the outward demonstration of love and service to and with people. Christian commitment is assessed by an attitude and action of love toward others. True faith in God will result in works for God and loving deeds toward people (James 2:14-24). True love for God will result in love of people (I John 4:19-21). True Christian service is an act of loving and serving God.

God's primary agency is the local church.
Jesus Christ declared, "I will build my Church" (Matthew 16:18). The Church of Jesus Christ, as manifested in the local church body, is the primary agency of ministry and service. The Holy Spirit uses the Church to reach out to the unsaved world through evangelism, and builds up the Church through edification. All forms of Christian ministry and service ultimately function through these processes of discipleship (evangelism and edification).

Practical education is an integral part of a complete academic program.
An academic curriculum is not complete without the proper application of classroom knowledge and theory into practical real life experience. A proper philosophy of education will incorporate this practical experience dimension of learning into its academic curriculum. People learn by "doing" and "hands on experience" is often the best way to learn. The only way to become a leader is to lead. The best way to develop communication skills is to communicate. The best way to learn youth ministry (or adult, or children, or pastoral, or music, or counselling ministry) is to do it. Complete learning takes place when
what is taught is put into practice. "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). Ultimately, learning is doing. The SP emphasis is on "doing" and therefore, it is a crucial aspect of the total education process.
The good news is that the “doing” also gives a new perspective to the classroom learning. As a result of the hands on experience new understandings and questions emerge that are brought back to the classroom for further exploration and development. Sometimes the motivation to learn is triggered by opportunities to serve in a real life situation. The connection between head knowledge and application is always strengthened by practical experience.

Personal and ministry skill development are most effective when they are purposeful, systematic, focused, progressive, and related to personal or vocational goals.
SP should result in the development of personal and service skills. This development is most effective when it follows certain principles and patterns. Maximum personal and service skills development will occur when involvement in service is: “purposeful" (conscious, intentional, directional, deliberate, and planned instead of random, spontaneous, or impulsively based);“systematic" (organized according to a regular scheduled pattern, usually on a weekly basis); "focused" (intensified on the same ministry in order to develop depth over a prolonged period of time); “progressive" (leads to gradual improvement, growth and maturity in one’s ministry which naturally results in a deeper level of involvement with increased responsibilities/leadership); "related to personal or vocational goals" (individualized to maximize personal growth, and consistently compatible with personal professional/career training).

Personal and service skill development is most effective when guided and stimulated by personal accountability, supervision, and evaluation.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). A meaningful SP is often maximized when it is observed, guided, motivated, and stimulated by someone other than the individual doing the service. Personal "accountability" facilitates increased personal and service productivity and development. Personal "supervision" enhances and stimulates personal character and spiritual development by providing a personal role model. Personal “supervision and evaluation” helps identify strengths/giftedness along with weaknesses and deficiencies. Honest and careful "evaluation" appropriately communicated with the student produces an accurate self-awareness of personal assessment in personal development, growth, and effectiveness.

COMMUNICATION

We desire to make every effort to communicate what you need to know to succeed in the Service Practicum program. Your careful attention to the guidelines will help to avoid confusion and make your experience more rewarding. Therefore:
Our department will communicate important messages regularly through your e-mail. Please ensure the Service Learning Associate has your current email address and if you are not receiving regular emails from Service Learning, please contact the SL office. All students are required to have a working email account that they check frequently.
The Service Learning Department will also communicate occasionally through the campus Notices, the CBC Times, and periodically through your student mailboxes.
We may arrange personal times to meet with you so we can check on how your life and ministry are doing.
When you have any questions about your Service Practicum, please bring them to us. We are here to help you!

Ultimately YOU are responsible for having a great Service Practicum experience. Reading the handbook, asking questions, and coming to see us will contribute to your experience. We love to see students succeed.

THE NATURE OF SERVICE PRACTICUM

Ministry comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be defined as anything you do as an act of service to God; from preaching a sermon, teaching a Sunday School class, discipling a high school student, to making cookies for a neighbour, cleaning a gutter for a widow, or helping a little old lady cross the street. While a person should not judge one service as better or more valuable than another, we should differentiate the significance of certain service toward reaching a desired goal or purpose, especially when associated with a Bible College education.

While Columbia students are free to choose their own Service Practicum setting and almost any type of volunteer service could potentially qualify for Service Practicum credit, it is important to note that it must provide an opportunity for relational impact and personal skill development. To this end, the Service Learning Department has carefully identified certain criteria that should be considered when choosing a Service Practicum placement.

Criteria - All Service Practicum Placements must meet the following guidelines:
Provide at least 2-3 hours of service per week.
Be a volunteer and not a paid position.
Give an opportunity to work with people in a field that is of interest to the student.
Have a supervisor who is able to oversee, provide guidance and accountability, and give an evaluation at the end of each semester.
Include opportunities for personal reflection of the learning experience.
Have Service Learning Department approval in order to qualify for Service Practicum credit.

Our Expectations of the Student

To qualify for Service Practicum credit, your Service Practicum placement needs to meet certain specifications. Here is a brief summary of those requirements and expectations.

The Nature of Placement

A placement must involve direct contact and interaction with people, helping to meet their needs. This could happen in a formal way like teaching a Sunday school class or helping at a soup kitchen. It may also be an informal placement like a youth drop in centre or a thrift store. Whatever the case, the placement must give you an opportunity to put your faith into practice and apply what you are learning in the classroom setting through service of others. The primary focus of the Service Learning Department is toward off-campus placements, as opposed to on-campus placements in which students serve their peers. We encourage CBC students to have at least one year of service practicum in or through a local church, and we encourage students to limit on-campus service to one year. Students in their second year are strongly encouraged to be involved in a setting which directly correlates with their major and life goals if at all possible.

The Time Frame of Service

We want you to develop the philosophy that service should happen in a consistent, regular, and ongoing basis and not in short concentrated spurts of time. Therefore, your service must be done on a weekly basis during the Fall and Spring Semesters. Service Practicum should involve an average time commitment of two to three hours per week. This includes:

Preparation for the service,
The actual execution of the service, and
Any necessary follow-up after the service.
You may spend as much time in service as you feel you realistically can and still maintain the balance of personal and school obligations.

The placement should continue through the full academic year (September through April) to allow a maximum and thorough service experience. Any exceptions or changes should be authorized by the Service Learning Department.

Access to Service Practicum Information

Service Practicum program information is available in this handbook and online at www.columbiabc.edu/academics/servicepracticum.html. In order to make the program more accessible to you, to reduce paper waste, and to assist staff in organization, all information, placements, forms, and assignments are available on the website. Please see the website for all your Service Practicum needs. Please keep the handbook for your reference. Copies are also available on the Service Practicum website.

Attendance

Perfect attendance is expected of all SP students. Students will be allowed one excused absence per semester before losing marks. We believe that attendance is very important and understand that organizations are counting on your attendance for their programs to run smoothly.

Excused absences are allowed for the following reasons only:

Personal or family emergency.
Hazardous weather conditions that prevent students from attending.
Illness requiring a visit to the doctor or hospital.
The assignment has been cancelled by the organization.
Holidays
Reading Break (Spring Semester)
Urban Mission Adventure*

* First year students will be going on only one Urban Mission Adventure (2nd years do not go). This does not count towards the student’s excused absence as all 1st year students are required to go.

If you are absent, you are responsible to notify your supervisor and make proper arrangements for absence well before the scheduled time of service. If you have more than one excused absence per semester you will be required to make up the hours missed or marks will be deducted. Students should arrange this with the supervisor to find a suitable time for both parties.

Absence/Makeup

A minimum number of Service Practicum hours are crucial to provide an adequate training experience. Therefore, even with legitimate excuses, failure to achieve the required number of ministry hours may disallow credit. The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and Columbia Bible College deem your Service Practicum as a vital part of your educational experience. It is not an extracurricular activity. It is just as important as any other class. Therefore, you need to work around all other curricular and extracurricular events such as classes, extra program training, musical activities, sports, and other school functions.

NOTE: If you know you may be gone for long periods during the school year, especially on the weekends (due to extracurricular activities, deputations, sports trips, going home, skiing trips, Outdoor Leadership activities, etc.) you need to select a ministry that will not conflict with your other activities.

You are responsible to coordinate any absence from your Service Practicum with your supervisor and others who may need to know of your absence well in advance (like co-workers or substitutes). Any arrangements made to be absent and/or to make up for an absence must be to the satisfaction of the organization and consistent with your specific service. However, we understand that problems sometimes arise and we want you to be successful in your Service Practicum. Alternate options are available if problems arise; please check with the Service Learning office to work out a solution.

Grading

We feel that attendance and participation is the most important part of service, therefore half of your course grade consists of attendance and involvement in your Service Practicum placement. The remaining 50% of your grade is from your personal reflection, assignments, and evaluation from the supervisor. The Evaluation will be brought to the supervisor by you at the end of each semester to complete.

Accountability

Service Practicum must be done under supervision. We rely on students working closely with qualified supervisors who will provide you with adequate direction, accountability, training, and evaluation. For this to occur, we require students to initiate contact and have at least two (2) meetings with their supervisor each semester.

Selecting and Planning your Service Practicum

Students can either choose from pre-approved placements or create a specific Service Practicum placement of their choice. However, since "hands on" service experience is such an important part of the total educational program, there are some principles and specific guidelines for service selection.

1.    Pray that God will lead you into the exact service placement He wants for you to have; not the one your parents want, your friends want, or even the one you want, but the one God wants. Be willing to obey God and trust Him for the right ministry.
2.    Personalize your service experiences according to your own aspirations, interests, talents, strengths, direction, academic program, and vocational goals. Do not just do a service placement because of peer pressure, convenience, or familiarity. Do it because it is meaningful and beneficial for you personally, and will help you achieve your personal and career goals. If you are still in the exploration stage of life and not sure where God is leading you, it may be a good idea to do two different Service Practicum placements over the course of the two years? Your Service Practicum can be a good opportunity to test some of your gifts and interests. If, on the other hand, you have a clear sense of God’s leading, it may be more advantageous to you and the organization to seek one placement in which you can serve for two years.
3.    Plan your Service Practicum with purpose and careful thought, just like you plan the rest of your academic program. Consciously determine what kinds of experience will provide the training and personal growth you need. Selection should not be a random, spur of the moment, or a haphazard kind of decision. Rather, it should be purposeful, directional, intentional, and according to a specific thoughtful plan. You should plan to complete one Service Practicum credit for every full-time semester, beginning with your very first semester, until you have completed all your graduation requirement. (Part-time students should plan to complete one (1) SP credit for every other 15 academic credits completed.). Students planning to complete a BA program are encouraged to finish their four (4) SP credits, before starting third year courses, for several reasons:
a.    This will allow you to maintain the proper "progression" in your Service Practicum that will correlate to your academic progression.
b.    If for any reason you must be excused from a placement, or fail to get credit, you will have sufficient time to complete the needed Service Practicum credits before graduation.
c.    All students completing a BA will be required to do Internship credit (in the ECE program it is called a Block Practicum). This should take place in their third and/or fourth years, so you must complete all Service Practicum credits before you do your Internship.
4.    Progression and growth will be important for your development. During your time at CBC, as you gain more and more classroom knowledge you will become better equipped for higher levels of service involvement with increased responsibilities and leadership. Seek service according to this natural progression. Each student begins Columbia at their own maturity level with their own level of service and skills. Start where you are, and grow from there. Just as you progress through your academic program, so should you progress through your SP and ultimately your Internship, with each successive year, reaching a newer, or higher skill level.

Possible Service Practicum Opportunities

When it comes to Service Practicum opportunities, the sky is the limit. In the greater Fraser Valley, through local churches, parachurch and other organizations, there are too many service opportunities to mention. We are always open to creative ideas. God is unlimited in His creativity, so service can be also. If you have a new idea, feel free to contact the Service Learning Department with the details and we will let you know if it would work for SP credit. Ultimately, we want to help you find a placement that is most meaningful and fulfilling for your God-given individual strengths and preferences. Details of a specially proposed Service Practicum placement must be submitted and approved before the registration deadline.
Here is a list of some placements that have been done in the past:

Local church youth groups
Teaching Sunday school
Weekday children’s clubs
Visiting at a home for the elderly or disabled
Working at the local thrift stores
Preparing food at the Gleaners
Stocking shelves and handing out food at the food bank
Working with programs for homeless and low income people
Leading worship in a local church
Community Youth drop in programs
Breakfast programs at schools
Assisting teachers in local schools
Coaching sports teams in school and community programs
Helping in a daycare program
Helping with various ministry programs in the church
Working at the pregnancy centre
Helping at the crisis line
How to Locate a Placement

While you are responsible to locate an approved SP placement and make contact with the supervisor, Service Learning staff are available to help provide suggestions and information on numerous placements. Here are some options to consider:
Service Practicum Website – The Service Practicum website is located online www.columbiabc.edu/servicepracticum.html and can be accessed from any computer on campus connected to the Internet or at home. This website contains specific information on current opportunities.
Your Church or other community organizations – You may be from the Fraser Valley or Vancouver area and are already involved in some kind of volunteer service. CBC Strongly encourages continued commitment to those placements and allows you to use it as a Service Practicum placement. Please be sure to fill out an application form to ensure that it qualifies for Service Practicum before beginning. You may also know of an organization or volunteer placement in the community that you would like to be involved in. Feel free to be involved where you want in the community as long as it fits within the Service Practicum guidelines.
Service Fair - The Service Fair is held once each year during September . This year, on Friday, September 16th from 10:000 am-12:00 pm, representatives from local churches, and organizations will have the chance to come on campus and provide specific information about service opportunities. The Fair is designed to help you select a setting that is best suited to your interests by exposing you to a wide range of opportunities. Please take the time to look through all the displays, you may find something that interests you and you will have opportunity to meet the people running the program and ask them questions.

Guidelines for Choosing an Approved Placement

The SP program focused on service outside the campus setting in environments students will experience after their time at Columbia. We ask you to set your sights on off-campus type Service Practicum placements found in or through local churches, parachurch, or other organizations.

Diploma and BA students are encouraged to do at least one year (2 semesters) of Service Practicum credit in or through a local church. Since we believe God's primary agency is the local church, we want all students to find and involve themselves in worship and fellowship in the context of a "church home”. Ideally, this would mean that you should, if possible, serve in the context of that same church you attend. For example, do not teach Sunday school in one church and go to the worship service of another. Be consistent. Do what is best for others, even if it is not necessarily convenient or pleasurable for you. This is being a true servant. We ask that you focus on what you can "give" not what you can “get” in Service Practicum.

We realize there are many good Service Practicum opportunities available right here on our campus, but as a school, we want our focus and priority to be off-campus service opportunities. It is not a question of the validity of service; it is more an issue of emphasis in service. To encourage you in this direction, we will allow students to receive only one year of SP credit for on-campus Placements (which means ministering to fellow students). Special approval for more than one year of on-campus Service Practicum must be received from the Service Learning Department.

The Service Learning Department has approved and authorized certain campus related placements to qualify for SP credit. Other on-campus placements may be beneficial and glorifying to God, but do not have approval to qualify for credit.

Approved on-campus (CBC) placements for SP credit:

Resident Assistants (RA’s)
Head Residents (HR’s) (only if not already receiving internship credit)
Commuter Assistants (CA’s) (only if not already receiving internship credit)
Collegium Hosts
All executive STUCO Positions
Vespers Team (only if not already receiving ensemble credit)
Souled Out Team
Quest Discipleship Leaders
Enrolment Student Leadership
Other positions may qualify, see Service Learning staff for approval

Note: Even though these placements have been authorized, several criteria still must be met for a student to receive Service Practicum credit for these placements.
Students must still complete the specific requirements for Service Practicum credit (listed below). Just holding the position does not necessarily mean that enough service is happening to qualify for credit.
Each student must receive separate final approval from the Service Learning Department to be able to qualify. For example: if you have already received one year of on-campus ministry credit, then you most likely will not qualify to receive a 2nd year, even though your placement is on the authorized list.

Specific Requirements

It must be done on a regular (weekly) basis for a minimum time commitment of 2-3 hours a week over the course of the semester. This includes preparation, actual service, and necessary follow-up.
It must be relational, serving people. We desire you to gain experience serving people in some form, simply volunteering is not enough.
Experience must be progressive, if you are in your second year at the same place, your responsibilities should increase. Talk to your supervisor to determine how that can happen.
If possible, it should continue for a full academic year (September through April).
There must be a supervisor who can meet with you at least 2 times each semester and give an accurate evaluation at the end of the semester.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE FOR SERVICE PRACTICUM

1. Register for Service Practicum. Ensure you are registered for the appropriate level course. This can be confirmed by looking on the course registration sheet you received at financial registration. If you do not see Service Practicum listed and you need the credit, please see the registrar’s office to register. Once that is done, your name will appear on the course list. If you have transfer credits for Service Practicum, please ensure you are in the correct class.
Look at the CBC Service Practicum website located at: http://www.columbiabc.edu/academics/servicepracticum.html All information for service practicum students and supervisors is available here including assignments, forms, handbooks, and other information. Please browse and notice where things are…this is a very important resource for you!
2. Choose a placement
3. Look at the website under Start up
4. Find a placement. There are many options for finding a placement. First, numerous churches and community organizations have provided placements for students. These are listed on the SP website for you to browse. This list is located under available placements. Please choose one or more that you are interested in. Second, Service Practicum offers a service fair at the beginning of the semester on September 16th. A number of organizations set up displays. This is a great place to see the different options and meet people. Third, students are encouraged to continue in volunteer work they have been previously involved in, as long as it meet the SP requirements. Finally, be creative and find a placement in the community that aligns with your interests.
Once you have chosen a placement or placement options, please make an appointment with Adel to register your placement. Students who choose placements from the website will also receive contact information at this time.
5. Meet with your Supervisor. Some placements require an interview before starting. Please ensure this interview is complete and that you are sure you will be doing this placement before continuing with the form. It is imperative that you explain to your supervisor what his/her responsibilities are and what he/she needs to know to effectively carry out the role of a supervisor. (Please see "Role of a Supervisor" page 22.)
    a. Give your supervisor a copy of the SP Supervisor Manual and ask them to complete the "Supervisor Agreement         Form”
    b. Discuss the specific responsibilities of the supervisor, especially emphasizing:
            i. The two meetings
            ii. The student Final Evaluation form.
    c. Discuss exactly what your job description and responsibilities should and will be throughout the SP period.
    d. Discuss any information or training needed for the position
    e. Ensure the Placement Information Form is returned to the SP Office
6. Return the completed registration form, to the Service Learning Department for approval no later than September 19rd in the Fall and January 20th in the Spring for new students. Please do not leave your registration form in the office unless a Service Learning Department member has reviewed the completed form with you.
7. Ask your supervisor to complete a supervisor agreement form located at: http://www.columbiabc.edu/academics/servicepracticum.html under the heading Supervisor Information.
8. Start your Service Practicum! Please have this process done as soon as possible
9. Read your syllabus. Note assignments and due dates. Note requirements for attendance and assignments
10. Read the Service Practicum Handbook available on the website (also available to download and print).
11. Hand in all assignment
12. Submit attendance records (available online)
13. Ensure you supervisor completes an evaluation at the end of the semester (also available on the website)
14. Add Adel to your email safe list if you have a junk mail filter or you won’t get important emails! (Adel.Klassen@columbiabc.edu)

Ask any questions you have (Even if you think it’s insignificant or silly) Be sure you completely understand everything because you are responsible for everything related to this course, there is no class to remind you (although I do send out emails)
Have fun!!!

NOTE - IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO Record his/ her attendance and make sure the attendance record is consistent and appropriate to your actual attendance. Attendance is a matter of honesty, integrity, and testimony before man and God. (Luke 16:10)

SERVICE PRACTICUM EVALUATIONS

Reasons for Student Accountability

All students are expected to report periodically to the Service Learning Department throughout the school semester, and to reflect personally on their SP progress and development. This accountability is important for each student for several reasons:
1.    Biblical Support - After Jesus gave His disciples (and the 70) service assignments; they came back and personally reported to Him (Luke 10:1-There is strong Biblical basis for accountability and reporting in ministry).
2.    Accreditation Standards – Service Learning has an accreditation mandate to track every student in order to provide an accurate account and/or verification of their SP progress, including an evaluation of their service. Just as a student reports to a professor and attends class, so a student must report regularly to the Service Learning Department for SP credit. Service Practicum is a CLASS!
3.    Student Success - The Service Learning Department is here to love, serve and help each student successfully complete their SP requirements. We desire to help provide the most meaningful, positive, problem-free and productive SP possible. In order to support you and your SP placement adequately, we need to know how you and your placement are doing.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each student to inform the Service Learning Department how their SP is going, including positive progress and any problems they may be facing. You will be asked to formally report at mid-term and end of semester on your SP time and supervisor meetings. . However, please do not wait until those formal report times if you have concerns or there are other issues that we should know about. We want to hear from you as the needs arise.

NOTE:
Occasionally the Service Learning Department may want to talk personally or interact with you. We will try to arrange a time at your convenience to do so. Thank you for responding immediately to any note you receive from us.

THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR

Purpose
Your supervisor is key to your successful Service Practicum. Supervisors are asked to help students apply what they have learned in the class (theory) to real life situations (practice). They are asked to give students direction, support, and feedback regarding the progress of their service. Regular contact throughout the course of the semester will facilitate this.
Qualifications

A Supervisor is one who:
Is in a position to observe and directly supervise the student's service (if direct supervision is not possible, “indirect” supervision is permissible).
Is willing to commit themselves to fulfilling their responsibilities as a supervisor.
Is approved by the Service Learning Department.
Understands and supports the Service Practicum program.
Is accessible and available for individual contact, informal or formal mentoring, and accountability.
Will take this role seriously and seek to develop a meaningful relationship with each student they supervise.
Limit themselves to 4-6 CBC students under their direct supervision.
Preferably, if possible, be of the same gender as the student.

Note: CBC students do not qualify to supervise other students, unless they are in an authorized leadership position to do so, and have been approved by the Service Learning Department.

Responsibilities

Be available to meet personally with the student at least twice a semester.
Be willing to supervise for a full academic year (Sept. - April).
Keep an accurate record of student's attendance and supervisor contacts.
Communicate appropriately with student(s) and/or Service Learning Department concerning pertinent issues (service or personal).
Encourage, motivate, and pray for and with the student.
Evaluate honestly the student's SP.

SUPERVISOR/STUDENT RELATIONSHIP AND CONTACT

Good accountability and personal growth through a supervisor-student relationship will happen only if it is taken seriously by both parties and given enough time for meaningful, qualitative and individual interaction. If you are not receiving adequate supervision, please ask your supervisor what can be done to improve the situation. Your communication and cooperation will do much to make your service time a great learning experience.

Supervisor contact should be far more than touching base on the simple logistics of the placement. It should be a time of personal dialogue, open communication, and prayer concerning the student's role, growth, feelings, and goals in ministry. (For more information, see the SP Supervisor Manual.)

Accountability is important to developing rapport with the supervisor. We believe the growth of a good relationship with the supervisor is one of the most significant aspects of the Service Practicum program. We appreciate the time and interest supervisors take with their students and have found that both students and supervisors benefit from their time together. To facilitate this kind of in-depth interaction & accountability, supervisor contact should be:
Personal (one-on-one or group), face-to-face meetings twice a semester as per schedule. Other supervisor arrangements must be approved by the Service Learning Department.
A minimum of 30 minutes (or longer, if warranted). Shorter than 30 minutes will not provide the depth of interaction necessary for a meaningful supervisor conversation and relationship.
Focused on evaluation, student’s goals, and personal growth. The supervisor is encouraged to also use these meetings to go over the mid-term assignment and final student evaluation.

SUPERVISOR EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT

At the end of each semester, your supervisor will fill out an evaluation form and discuss it with you. This evaluation will not only help you know how you performed in the eyes of your supervisor, but also inform our department if you have completed your assignment successfully. This evaluation will contribute to a portion of your overall grade.

If a problem arises with your supervisor relationship, or any problems occur which keep you from fulfilling these personal supervisor meetings, please contact the Service Learning office.

SERVICE PRACTICUM POLICIES

Change Procedures

Consider the following information and if necessary secure a Change Form from the Service Learning Department.

Change of Placement Within An Organization

You are expected to maintain the same ministry throughout the school year (both Fall and Spring semester). However, under special circumstances, changes in your SP within the organization may be allowed. Permission for all changes must first be approved by the leader directly over or in charge of your placement, and then properly processed through the Service Learning office.

Change of Organization

On very rare occasions, a change in placement and organization may be considered after the end of the Fall semester. This type of change would require you to make an appointment with the Service Learning Associate for processing.

Change of Supervisor

If for some reason you have a change in supervisor, it is up to the student to notify the Service Learning Office of that change.

NOTE: All changes must be officially recorded with our department on the appropriate Change Form. Any spring changes to your Fall SP registration must be submitted with a SP Change Form by January 20.

Prior Life Experience Credit

In some special cases, SP credit will be given based on the following policy.

Qualifications

Service experience must be post-high school and pre-CBC.
Involvement in service ministry must be, full time (30 hrs+ per week) ministry experience for at least one full year (in the same ministry setting) per credit hour challenged. Students may receive up to 6 credits for life experience (4 for SP and 2 for internship). Students are required to do a minimum of 2 credit hours of internship through the college to graduate.
Ministry experience years 1-4 will qualify for SP credit. A student with 5+ years in ministry experience will qualify for internship credit.
A supervisor who has been actively involved in overseeing the experience and is willing to verify the information as well as offer an assessment of the volunteer’s experience.

Process

Obtain and complete application form.
Submit application to Director of Service Learning (DSL). The DSL will confirm qualifications and give final approval.
Submit payment of Course Assessment Fee ($35.00 per credit hour challenged) on the same day as the application is submitted to the DSL. The application will not be considered until the fees are paid.
Hand in the assignment and supervisor’s letter with evaluation (as outlined below) by the last day of the semester.

Student Assignment

Reflection paper on ministry assignment (two pages per credit hour challenged). Include a copy to give to the supervisor to help refresh their memory and so they can verify that the information is correct.
Reflect on the experience.
What were you involved in and how did it go (the good things and the bad)?
Discuss the things you learned
About yourself (gifts, strengths, challenges, areas of growth)
Others (serving people, reactions)
Service as a Christian in Ministry
Share two stories of significant events during your ministry time.
Discuss the areas in your life that you would like to develop further in the future.
Conclude with how your life was impacted through this assignment.

Supervisor Evaluation

Supervisor will provide a one-page letter stating the nature of the student’s involvement in the assignment and acknowledge that they have read the student’s reflection paper to verify the information. (Per ministry setting)
An evaluation form will be included and will require comments on the participation of the student in the assignment. (Per ministry setting)

Summer or Alternative Credit

The Service Learning Department recognizes that with the various schedules and situations you have, you may need to find another time or way to fulfill your requirements to earn Service Practicum credit. We also realize that there may be some unique circumstances and/or creative ways to obtain your goals. We are open to discussing and reviewing any alternate options you desire to present. Information and applications for all alternate/summer SP placements may be obtained through the Service Learning office.

Double Credit

All double credit Service Practicums must first be specifically cleared and approved through the Service Learning Department.
Double credit will be allowed for students who are behind and need extra SP credit(s) to catch up. Generally, it is not an option for those trying to get ahead.
Double credit will be allowed for two unrelated ministries. A separate supervisor for each ministry is required.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Columbia recognizes that service is an essential part of every student’s total Bible learning experience and is best accomplished simultaneously along with his or her academic coursework. Therefore, all students need to achieve the required number of SP credits. To graduate from any 1-year program you will need 2 SP credits. To graduate from any 2 or 4-year program you will need 4 SP credits.

ACCREDITATION AND SERVICE PRACTICUM

Columbia requires service not only because it is a strategic part of our overall mission, but also because our accreditation mandates it. CBC is accredited through the ABHE (Association for Biblical Higher Education). A school cannot receive or maintain ABHE accreditation without a mandatory SP requirement. We cannot change this, nor do we want to do so.

NOTE: This Handbook is subject to revision that may affect your credit completion requirements. As with any departmental decisions, a student may direct an appeal to the Academic Dean at any time.