For the second year in a row, Portland State University's Community-Based Learning curriculum is among the best in the nation. According to U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2004," Portland State University was ranked among the top institutions nationally in the categories of service learning, learning communities, and senior capstone. These categories are reflective of PSU's vision, values, and mission, and are at the heart of our curriculum.
Description of service learning: "In service-learning programs, volunteering in the community is an instructional strategy—a requirement of a student's coursework. The service informs what happens in class, and vice versa." (U.S. News)
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Description of learning communities: "Students typically take two or more linked courses as a group and get to know one another and their professors especially well. The idea is to keep the discussions going after class ends." (U.S. News)
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Description of senior capstone: "Whether they're called a senior capstone or some other name, these culminating experiences ask students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and synthesizes what they've learned. The project might be a thesis, or a performance, or an exhibit of artwork." (U.S. News)
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PSU Portfolio Themes