from Dateline (March 27, 2003)
CSUF Extends Its Volunteer Reach
to Cambodia
by Susan katsaros
Community service by students is the focus
of a partnership between Cal State Fullerton and Pannasastra University
of Cambodia.
President Milton A. Gordon and Kol Pheng, president
of Pannasastra University, signed an agreement in January to establish
a Center for Community Service Learning at the Cambodian university.
Supporting the effort is a $124,419 United States
Agency for International Development grant.
Next month, Cal State Fullerton will host a delegation
of Cambodian students and faculty and staff members as a kick-off
for the volunteer 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, about the agreement. “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.”
Luu Trankiem, University Extended Education's director
of international programs, is overseeing the program, while Norman
serves as co-project director.
Jeannie Kim-Han, director of the Center for Community
Service-Learning, is the lead service-learning consultant. Kari
Knutson-Miller, assistant professor of child and adolescent studies,
is the service-learning faculty consultant. Erika Randall, director
of community service learning at the California State University
Chancellor's office, is a project consultant.
Cal State Fullerton will train Pannasastra faculty
members to utilize community service as part of academic coursework.
Students would earn credit for their community service as part of
select courses.
The effort will meet community needs, such as AIDS/HIV
education and health care, increase literacy and promote education,
as well as educate and advocate on issues of human rights, noted
Trankiem.
The community service program also will instill better
understanding of civic education and responsibility in participating
service-learning students by providing opportunities to serve and
participate in governance and community, Trankiem added. The program
will increase student learning by facilitating mastery of course
concepts, he noted.
“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. “And
this university has one of the most developed and advanced service-learning
programs of the 23 campuses in the system.”
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