Cultivating a Civic Mindset: Assessing Public Relations Student Perceptions of Service Learning and Community Involvement Beyond the Course

Abstract

Literature in service-learning offers examples of professional, social, and civic value to students, faculty, and community. The literature has not fully examined the impact of student participation on their levels of civic involvement among graduates several years removed from the coursework. This study is a case analysis of seven years of graduates with public relations course experience to examine graduates’ perceptions of the value of service-learning projects, and how this translates to community engagement.