Introduction

During the past five years, the focus I have placed on service has changed from committee work to being present for my students and colleagues.

My colleagues know that while I am not likely to “officially” serve on a committee that I will support the committee’s work. For example, I have not attended a meeting of the International Institute in several years, yet my students always prepare some type of display for the Multicultural Fair and attend speakers and other events sponsored by the International Institute. During winter 2012, I helped with the Focus Series by selecting athe films we would be screened as part of the series.

Instead of spending time on committee work, I have been spending more and more time being mindfully present with students. Over the past few years, I have increased my efforts to be an approachable faculty member and have worked not only with my students but also with any student who wants to talk to me. My presence in the library has especially given me prominence for students. Also, because I attend so many campus events, students I have never met will seek me out.

When students approach me, sometimes I just need to listen. At other times, I am able to refer them to the proper place to get assistance or to have their question answered. I do much to assist students and to promote college programs in these quiet conversations over coffee, tea, and sweets.

During much of the fall 2011 semester, I did attempt to capture the day-to-day realities of the service and professional development I do on a daily basis. I did this through a teaching evaluation blog. By recording much of what I did from 21 August 2011 through 4 December 2011, I give an overview of what I do to provide services to students.

Prominent Service

Although I do not care to receive formal recognition for most of the service I provide, there are four areas in which I have had some more prominent service.

• LAND Steering CommitteeI represent Schoolcraft College on the steering committee for the Liberal Arts Network for Development. During the past four years, I have run the registration for their annual conference and for the past year I have served as the webmaster. As part of my responsibilities, I have also coordinated communication with individuals interested in LAND. The improvements I have implemented have been of great service to this organization and have reflected well on my and on the college.For part of the evaluation period, I also served as the Treasurer for LAND
• Schoolcraft College FoundationBeginning with an initial $250 year commitment to the Schoolcraft College Foundation, my payroll deduction is now $5,250.18 per year. Additional contributions are made throughout the year. During the 2009-2010 annual campaign, I served as the honorary co-chairperson for the annual drive.
• Culinary ExtravaganzaI am currently a Gold Sponsor ($1,000) for the annual Culinary Extravaganza and raise an additional $200+ dollars for this event in ticket sales and donations.
• 50^th Anniversary GalaDr. Michael Oliver and I co-sponsored the Athletics Display ($1,000) for the 50^th Anniversary Gala. I also purchased a $500 advertisement in the program.
• Berg Endowment and Dr. Steven L. Berg FundOn 24 September 2010, I signed the paperwork to create the Berg Endowment. The paperwork which has currently been submitted to the college commits me to a minimum $10,000 donation to fund the endowment at the time of my death. Paperwork still held by attorney sets the figure at a higher level.In October 2010, I held a fundraiser that raised approximately $5,000 for the Endowment and have raised additional funds since then.In 2011, we created the Dr. Steven L. Berg Fund so that we would be able to award scholarships even before the endowment was fully funded. I now provide $3,000 per year to this fund.During fall 2011, the first three Emerging Scholars were funded.
• Additional FundraisingI have raised money for the foundation by selling tickets for the Culinary Extravaganza, soliciting donations for the Berg Endowment, and serving as honorary co-chair for the 2009-2010 annual campaign.
• Transition CenterI have been purchasing a full paid advertisement for the Transition Center’s annual spaghetti dinner ($100). I then donated the advertisement to the Learning Support Services. In 2012, the Transition Center decided to stop selling advertisements and, instead, set up a system of sponsorships. I decided to become a Diamond Sponsor for this event ($1,250).
• School DazeSchool Daze is one of my favorite events on campus. I am the “official” hot dog cooker. Over a three day period, I cook almost 3,000 hot dogs and interact with many, many students. As part of my work, I teach students a secret phrase that gets them a free hot dog. I am also responsible for purchasing Halal, Kosher, and vegetarian hot dogs for the event. Last year, I took on the added responsibility of preparing lunch for the crew responsible for breaking down the event.

Unfortunately, Not All Service Counts as Service

In “Measuring Learning by the Numbers” (25 September 2011), I wrote:

When I began organizing the material for my five year evaluation, I discovered that there was no box to check to indicate that I am one of the sponsors for the college’s 50^th Anniversary Gala. While I am sympathetic to the argument that writing a check is not service, a colleague and I made a strategic decision to sponsor the athletic display as part of an on-going strategy to build relationships with college athletes; an overall strategy that provides a service to the college.

The decision that Dr. Michael Oliver and I made to sponsor this event has been producing results. For example, I have become more engaged with athletes; both those who are my students and others whom have never taken a class from me. I am also working with athletes to have them better interact with non-athletes on joint projects including the Ocelot Scholars Project and the Multicultural Fair.

Because I am seen as an ally of Dr. Oliver, athletes are more likely to discuss problems with me or to ask me questions about college procedures and so forth.

Unfortunately, a key part of this strategy—sponsoring the 50^th Anniversary Gala—is not considered service to the college. Nor is there a box to check to get credit for most of the work I do with students.

According to the Faculty Evaluation Handbook, “Service consists of activities that further the goals and objectives and enhance the operation of the College and provide benefits to the department, college, students, and community.” Four areas are listed. Yet for evaluation purposes, only three of them matter. As the handbook explains, “There are three components to the Service evaluation: service to the department, service to the College, and service to the community.”

Although service is to benefit students, we do not value it enough to develop a section focusing on service to students as part of the Faculty Evaluation Worksheet. As such, much of what faculty do can get lost. For example, holding extra office hours is not easily classified as service. And even though I am conscious of recording what I did to help students, I know that I did not document the amount of time I spend working with students outside of regular class times and office hours. In addition, the coffee pot outside my office and the treats that students regularly help themselves to is a type of service that is not recorded.

A final concern is that service to the community is so narrowly defined so that we cannot count important service that reflects well on the college. As I wrote in “Measuring Learning by the Numbers,”

When I was secretary of the Great Lakes Buddhist Vihara, my English language training benefited an organization whose membership primarily consisted of individuals for whom English is a second language. Because such skills are part of what defines my job at the college, I can check a community service box on my evaluation form; something I would be prohibited from doing had I held the position of treasurer. In other words, I provide service to the community when I am the secretary but, but definition, provide no community service as treasurer.

In preparing the evaluation packet, I have to delete much of the service I perform that provides benefits to the college or reflects well on the college because, according to the checklist, these things do not count.

Documentation of Service

The types of service I perform for the college is reflected in my evaluation blog. Although the blog only records about four months or activities, because I am known on campus, I believe my evaluators and others will realize that this four month period is reflective of the level of service I consistently provide to the college.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption: In 2010, I served as the honorary men’s basketball coach for Spirit Night.

Photo Credit: Rena Laverty