Service Statement
The following serves as an introduction to the service portion of my portfolio to be found at the end of this page. This introduction aims at establishing a link between the service goals outlined in my candidate’s statement, my past and present service activities, and my service-related goals for the future, including the competencies I still need to make progress on.
Service Competencies I Need
I need several department level service competencies. The development of a healthy community within an academic department requires a blend of social and professional activities as relationships between students, faculty, and staff are not solely developed through professional interactions, however, positive social interactions alone are not enough for a department to succeed. I must be able to evaluate what needs exist in a given department and then apply my skills to address them. Department needs include attracting strong faculty, staff, and students and building positive working relationships between existing and new members of the department, both students and faculty.
The types of service competencies required at the university level involve working on a variety of committees, attracting funding, and establishing centers of excellence that draw strong people to the organization. At the community level the service needs are too large and diverse to list.
Overall, I believe that the desired service competencies are similar in school, community, departmental, and university contexts. I will need to identify the needs within the organizations I am involved with and then take appropriate action to address their needs. The ability to select opportunities for service that help both the organization that I work with and that facilitate my own career and service goals is similarly vital.
Service Competencies I Have
My role as president of the student organization (GIST) at the IST department at IU and my previous role as president of a similar organization at SIU are evidence of my willingness to serve the departments that I’m a member of. I have also served the broader broader university communities both at SIU and IU through volunteering to help pre-service teachers with their CD electronic portfolios at IU, developing a brochure for a new academic program at SIU, and creating a scripted lesson for the School of Business at SIU. I designed and developed each of these projects and artifacts by myself.
At IU I also worked with a group of students to produce a document for the board of trustees. The Balanced Scorecard Proposal for the Indiana University Board of Trustees was created in the spring of 2007 for SPEA V602 as part of a group project. It is important to note that the Indiana University Board of Trustees did not request this report: we selected the Indiana University Board of Trustees as a target audience because of their mandate to track the university’s progress on a broad set of goals. Several board members did read the report and some board members were interviewed as part of the report’s creation. My role in the group’s work on the report was writing the introduction and serving as the team’s balanced scorecard subject matter expert.
My employment history demonstrates my service through paid positions. Examples include my work with Option Six producing online courses for Microsoft and my work doing instructional design work for Life Skills through Physical Education & Sport project for CHDSPA. At SIU I created an analysis and instructional materials for a small locally owned retail business near Carbondale, IL as part of a course project.
I provided Information Technology consulting services through my work with Sapient from 1999 to 2003 where I received positive feedback on my ability to work with diverse groups of people in solving complex business and technical problems. I served as a 2004 ISPI Conference Volunteer where my responsibilities included providing logistical support to the presenters, keeping to the conference schedule, and ensuring that feedback forms were filled in and collected. I have played a similar volunteer role at each IST Conference since 2005. Since 2006, I have volunteered with the Brock Niagara Penguins, a swim and gym team for youth with disabilities in Canada, designing, implementing, and maintaining their website which is the primary forum through which they communicate with their volunteers and athletes.
Service Competencies that I Need
I need to continue focusing my service efforts on professional organizations or academic committees. I will continue to look for ways to serve the professional organizations that I’m a member of (AECT, AERA, CSSE and NAAEE) will join additional professional organizations that align with my long term professional and service goals. Recent evidence of my efforts to achieve my goal of serving a relevant professional organization is my running for the secretary/treasurer position in the AECT Division for Systemic Change. I will also seek out opportunities to help organization that are directly related to my research interests.
Supporting Evidence
Service to Community
- Employment with Option Six developing instructional design materials related to two online courses for Microsoft in the summer of 2006
- Volunteer instructional design work for Life Skills through Physical Education & Sport project for CHDSPA in the summer of 2007
- Creation of analysis and instructional materials for a local business near Carbondale, IL as part of a course project
- Information Technology consulting services through my work with Sapient from 1999 to 2003 where I received positive feedback
- Volunteer work with the Brock Niagara Penguins designing and implementing their website
Service to Professional Organizations
- 2010 AERA Conference Volunteer
- 2010 Nominee for Treasurer/Secretary for Systemic Change Division in AECT
- 2010 CSSE Volunteer Conference Proposal Reviewer
- 2004 ISPI Conference Volunteer
Service to Department
- GIST President Fall 2006 to Fall 2007
- 2009 IST Conference volunteer
- 2008 IST Conference volunteer
- 2007 IST Conference volunteer
- 2006 IST Conference volunteer
Service to School
- Volunteered time to help preservice teachers with the creation of their CD electronic portfolios
- Creation of brochure for new program in School of Education at SIU as part of a course project
- Creation of a scripted lesson for MBA program at SIU as part of course project
Service to University
- Balanced Scorecard Proposal for the Indiana University Board of Trustees created in the spring of 2007 for SPEA V602 as part of a group project
