Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement

Community Partner Resources

About

Partnerships with organizations in the Greater Springfield area are the cornerstone of the Hagen Center. Our partners provide students with internships and opportunities to serve. They partner with faculty to provide community-based courses and collaborate on research opportunities. We seek to find ways to collaborate that advance the educational needs of our students, advance the goals of our partners, and make a difference in the Springfield community.

This page provides current and potential partners information about our programs, the opportunities available to current partners, and reference materials related to partnering with the Hagen Center.

Programs

If you are an organization in the Greater Springfield area interested in connecting with Wittenberg, we offer several opportunities to connect with Wittenberg students and faculty. Please review the descriptions below and then take a few minutes to complete this form to help us make the best connection for you and our students.

Community Service Partner:

Wittenberg students engage in community service as part of their graduation requirements. They complete 27 hours of service at one of our partner sites during the fall or spring semester.  We look for non-profit organizations interested in working with our students and they work to achieve the learning goals outlined for this program.

Learn more

Traditional Students - CMSV 100

  • Wittenberg students pick one semester before they graduate to register for Community Service 100 (CMSV 100), the course students take to complete the service requirement.
  • Students complete 27 hours of service and 3 hours of reflection in the semester they register for CMSV 100
  • Students must complete at least 20 of their 27 hours at one site.
  • The course follows all add/drop deadlines as determined by the Registrar's Office.
  • Students are to turn in a Placement Confirmation form (for 20+ hour service site) by the end of the 5th week of the semester
  • Students turn in a self-evaluation and reflection essay at the end of the semester.
  • Service sites verify and submit a service log and site evaluation for each student completing 20 or more service hours with their organization.
  • There is no cost to register for CMSV 100 since the course is 0-credit.
  • Students must complete all requirements within the semester or lose earned hours, and they must begin again in a future semester.
  • CMSV 100 Rights and Responsibilities
  • Frequently Asked Questions - CMSV 100
  • CMSV 100 Orientation Information for students enrolled in Fall 2019

Graduate and Professional Studies Students- CMSV 100-02

Fall and Spring Internships:

Internships are experiential learning opportunities for students. The main difference between an internship and a part-time job is that internships include specific learning goals for students. That is, students deliberately set out to gain knowledge or skills from an internship. We look for businesses and organizations interested in helping students grow in their personal and professional goals.

Learn more

Internships can be set up in different ways:

  • They can be paid or unpaid (see below).
  • They can be for academic credit or not for credit.
  • They can be project-based where students work more independently on a deliverable that is due at the end of the internship.
  • They can be more experience-oriented in that they learn through participating in the day-to-day operations of the organization or office.

What is the advantage to offering an internship over a part-time job?

  • Students place a high value on internships and so you are more likely to receive applications if you provide an internship over a part-time job.
  • The learning goal structure creates an easy way to develop common expectations and provide feedback to students.
  • Participating in the educational process with students is often very rewarding. You are more likely to develop a connection with them and they are more likely to turn to you for advice.

Should internships be paid?

  • We encourage all internships to be paid. The Wage Partnership Program (link to WPP) is available to organizations that are unable to provide paid opportunities.

How do I submit my internship opportunity?

  • To help guide you through the best way to submit your internship opportunity, please complete this form. We will be in contact with you and advise you of the best way to post your position.

Civic Internship Program

The Civic Internship Program is an eight-week paid summer program that combines internships in Springfield with opportunities to learn from local civic leaders and network with local alumni. It is designed to help students gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be actively engaged citizens in their community. We are looking for partners with a community-focused mission interested in providing students a project-based experience that helps them further their personal, professional, and civic goals.

Learn more

What types of internships are you looking for?

  • We are open to internship opportunities from organizations that have a community-focused mission. Internships can be pre-professional opportunities as long as there is an effort to help interns see how the organization contributes to the larger community and helps to address important community needs.

How do I submit my internship opportunity?

  • Internship opportunities can be submitted to The Hagen Center in January for summer internship opportunities for students. If you have more questions or would like more information, please contact Erin Neely at 937-327-7936 or neelye@wittenberg.edu

Fall and Spring Part-Time Jobs

We post jobs that provide students an opportunity to gain experiences directly related to a field of study. While not rising to the level of an internship, these jobs should still help students gain skills or observe work relevant to their studies. There is a fine line between these jobs and internships. The key difference is the centrality of learning outcomes. These types of jobs are eligible for the Wage partnership program (link to the WPP).

Learn more

How do I submit my job opportunity?

  • To help guide you through the best way to submit your internship opportunity, please complete this form. We will be in contact with you and advise you of the best way to post your position.

Opportunities for Current Partners

Community Partner Development Series

The Community Partner Development Series is a monthly gathering of current community service and internship partners. Each session features a speaker and provides an opportunity to network.

Wage Partnership Program

Students benefit most from paid opportunities. The WPP helps local organizations provide paid opportunities by using student employment funds to cover part of the expense. In most cases, Wittenberg covers half of minimum wage and the organization covers the remainder.

The WPP’s goal is to use student employment funds to help community organizations provide paid experiences. Since the WPP has a limited budget, we consider several criteria when determining whether to approve a WPP request.

Preference is given to:

  • Internship opportunities or student experiences that directly relate to a field of study.
  • Small organizations and businesses (typically 5 or fewer full-time employees).
  • Organizations with a community-focused mission statement.
Learn more

How do I apply for the program?

  • When you submit your opportunity using this form, check the box that you are interested in applying for the Wage Partnership Program. We will ask you to answer a few additional questions as part of the submission process.

Reference Materials

Back to top