Main Content Region

Frequently Asked Questions

Travel

Travel to Native American Reservations in Travel-Ban States

The CSU Office of General Counsel determined that travel to Native American reservations in travel-ban states is permitted if you are visiting or staying on the federal reservation.

Transportation to Service Sites

Transportation can also be a barrier to students participating in community engagement activities. Consider selecting a project close to campus or near a bus route. Additional Parking & Transportation Services are available for students at 

Students attending the San Bernardino Campus

Students attending the Palm Desert Campus

Students

Scheduling the Service

If service in the community is a required assignment, you may want to provide alternatives for students who cannot perform the service learning component due to scheduling conflicts. Additional best practices include providing more than one service option, selecting sites with a wide variety of hours, or scheduling service during class time. Offering an alternative classroom-based assignment may also be necessary.

Students with Limitations

You need a backup plan for students not compatible with that organization or the nature of the service project. Be prepared to offer students an alternative assignment if the project creates religious, political, health and/or moral conflicts.

For example, a student who recently lost a relative in Iraq may not desire to work at a Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital. Or, you might have a student who’s a devout Catholic and your service site is a clinic that dispenses information about birth control and abortion. Or, you might have a student who is highly allergic to bee stings and has health concerns about service in an outdoor setting.

Example syllabus statement: “No student will be asked to work with a community organization that creates a religious, political, health and/or moral conflict. In case of such conflict, inform the instructor immediately. An alternative assignment will be provided.” 

Faculty

Community Engagement and RPT

How does my community engagement efforts contribute to retention, tenure, and/or promotion performance review?

Documenting Faculty Community Engagement Efforts

Deconstructing Technical Jargon and Acronyms

Below are some tips to enhance stakeholders’ experience in a community engagement event and increase the likelihood of their repeat participation in the future: 

  • Build short trainings and mini-workshops into community events and meetings to build stakeholder capacity for understanding a development project’s technical aspects.
  • Create small break-out groups at meetings to foster interpersonal conversation that create “safe space” where people feel more comfortable asking questions.
  • Break down all subject matter at community meetings into straightforward language.
  • Create interactive, participatory activities to help personalize technical concepts in the planning process and include them in your meeting agenda.
  • Create and distribute a glossary of relevant terms that may be encountered in discussion of topics on your meeting agenda.

Source [Breaking Down Barriers to Community Engagement and Participation]

Community Partners

Purchase Gift Cards to Thank Community Members

Gift card incentives for research is offered by the Office of Student Research.

Parking Costs

If CSUSB parking fees become a barrier for your community engagement activities, please contact the Office of Community Engagement at leaveyourpawprint@csusb.edu