When Indianapolis community organizations want to partner with IUPUI, they have a number of ways they may approach this process. While some organizations call or email the CSL directly, they may also connect with CSL via the community in-take form (an online form that allows organizations to indicate their goals for partnering with IUPUI ). An organization may also connect directly with faculty or staff they know whose areas of interest align with the interests of the community partner.
Similarly, first-time undergraduate faculty at IUPUI who are looking to integrate service learning into their courses may be looking for community partners that will be a good fit for their course goals; these faculty may reach out to organizations on their own, or they may connect with CSL for ideas on potential partners with whom to reach out.
Many of these queries, from both the community and faculty, wind up on Morgan’s desk or in her inbox. Morgan says, “I am typically the one within CSL right now who reaches back out and learns a little bit more about what they’re [community partners or faculty] looking for.” One of Morgan’s main areas of focus within CSL is facilitating conversations between faculty, staff, and community members to determine what they are looking for from service learning and how service learning can be integrated with their goals most effectively. She also works to pair community members with faculty based on their areas of need and interests; Morgan keeps a finger on the pulse of individual interests, and when she thinks of two interests that will be compatible, she helps potential partners begin the process of developing a relationship to begin working on common interests and goals.