Cal State Fullerton Extends Its
Student-Learning Reach to Cambodia
May 30, 2003 :: No. 250
Community service by students is the focus
of a partnership between Cal State Fullerton and Paññäsastra
University of Cambodia.
CSUF President Milton A. Gordon and the Kol Pheng,
president of Paññäsastra University, signed an
agreement to establish a Center for Community Service Learning at
Paññäsastra University, and $124,419 from the
United States Agency for International Development is supporting
the partnership effort.
Additionally, both universities have agreed to provide
matching resources to further the effort. Plans include sending
Cal State Fullerton faculty, staff and students to Cambodia as part
of the cooperative exchange.
This month and through June 4, the university is hosting
a delegation of Cambodian students, faculty and staff members so
that the universities can begin their service-learning collaboration.
“It’s certainly part of Extended Education’s
mission to have an international outlook,” said Harry Norman,
dean of university extended education and co-director of the project.
Joining him in directing the effort is Jeannie Kim-Han,
director of the university’s Center for Community Service-Learning.
Kari Knutson-Miller, assistant professor of child and adolescent
studies, is the project’s service-learning faculty consultant,
and Erika Randall, director of community service learning for the
California State University, is a project consultant.
“We have particularly focused on working with
Southeast Asian countries because of the university’s strong
connection with the local Asian community, as well as our own Cambodian
student population,” said Norman, who noted campus ties. CSUF
computer science alumnus Srey Sareth is a faculty member at Paññäsastra
University, and business administration alumnus Nuth N. Douen is
the secretary of state for Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism.
Cal State Fullerton’s plan is to train Paññäsastra
faculty members to incorporate community service learning into academic
course work. Students would earn credit for learning from their
community service as part of academic course work.
According to Kim-Han the mission of this joint effort
is to:
• Meet community needs, such as AIDS/HIV education and health
care; increase literacy and promote education; and educate and advocate
on issues of human rights.
• Instill better understanding of civic education and responsibility
among participating students by providing opportunities to serve
and participate in governance and community.
“The California State University system is recognized
as a leader in the development, implementation and growth of service-learning
pedagogy, research and evaluation,” said Randall. “Cal
State Fullerton has one of the most developed and advanced service-learning
programs of the 23 campuses in the system,” she added. “The
staff and faculty of the CSU Chancellor’s Office of Community
Service Learning and CSUF’s Center for CSL will provide the
expertise needed to establish a high quality Center for Community
Service Learning at Paññäsastra University of
Cambodia.”
Media Contacts: |
Harry Norman at 657-278-2937 or hnorman@fullerton.edu
Jeannie Kim-Han at 657-278-3746 or jkim-han@fullerton.edu
Susan Katsaros, Office of Public Affairs, at 657-278-4854
or skatsaros@fullerton.edu |
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