Between the lines

University Business, Feb, 2005 by Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti

Public Work and the Academy: An Academic Administrator's Guide to Civic Engagement and Service-Learning

Mark Langseth and William M. Plater, Editors; Anker Publishing Company, 2004; 314 pp.; $39.95

If there has been one positive side effect of the tragedies of 9/11, it has been an increased emphasis on national service. This collection of essays argues that dedicated administrators can turn civic engagement and service learning into a fundamental element of higher education's identity. Divided into two parts, the first section examines ways to use civic engagement to enhance the curriculum, advance educational reform, and add depth to the education process. A second section includes best practices of using service learning from two- and four-year institutions.