NIU’s Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning (OSEEL) is currently accepting site supervisor applications for the Huskie Service Scholars (HSS) program for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Launched four years ago, the program has been changing to provide a rewarding experience for students and site supervisors (campus partner).
HSS is a program that provides opportunities for new first-generation or low-income freshmen or transfer students who enjoy serving in the community.
Students accepted into the program will complete 300 hours of service over the course of one academic year, after which they receive a $1,132 tuition waiver as compensation for their time, dedication and hard work. Each student is placed at a campus partner host site (any NIU campus office or department) to help them achieve their service requirements.
Along with serving the campus partner, students in the HSS program serve the NIU community.
Service to the campus partner is a regular commitment that each student makes every week. Students vary the amount of hours per week (two to eight hours) that they serve to their campus partner. In the past, the scholars in the program have assisted offices in a variety of ways, including programming prep work and implementation and volunteering on- and off-campus. This is dependent upon the office’s needs and the student’s availability.
The service that students perform for the campus site partner should:
- help students to understand and contribute to the mission of the campus partner site;
- allow for student interaction with faculty, staff and students across campus; and
- challenge students to use critical thinking skills.
In return, campus partner sites provide students with projects and tasks that are within their interest range, help them to practice and develop the skills they need within their major. Participation in HSS helps students to grow confidently as students knowing that they can serve their community and enhance their education through real world experiences.
The role of the site supervisor is to nurture and maintain an unbiased, unprejudiced and an open environment that will strengthen the social and professional support system and knowledge base of HSS fellows. Supervisors should enable participants to converse freely, ask questions and voice their opinions and concerns. Supervisors are also expected to act as liaisons between the fellows and OSEEL staff, as well as campus and department resources.
Interested in becoming a site supervisor? Schedule a meeting to talk to someone or register online.
For more information, call (815) 753-8154 or email engage@niu.edu.
