Perceptions of Student Service Participation in a Liberal Arts Education Lily Johnson Faculty mentor: Amanda Reinke Georgia College & State University
Community service is consistently listed as a cornerstone of liberal arts. Most research on service participation in college gathered quantitative data to analyze volunteering motivations at universities with a service-learning component. Georgia College claims community service is an integral part of their mission that helps students become engaged citizens. This is reflected by the large proportion of GC students who volunteer. There is little data examining student perceptions of service as part of their GC experience. This research project addresses gaps using two methods: participant observation and semi-structured interviewing with students and employees. Preliminary findings display a wide array of motivations for student service participation relating to both intrinsic and extrinsic motives. Interview data relates service to the liberal arts mission as a method of expanding perspectives of students through participation service. These results appear to support current literature on this topic and explore deep-seated motivators for voluntary service participation.
Lily Johnson is a junior Psychology major and Anthropology minor and will graduate as a Certified Nonprofit Professional. She intends to pursue a career in the nonprofit field, and is from Dalton, Georgia.
