Uniservitate is a global network of Catholic higher education institutions comprising:
- 7 regional hubs led by 6 universities and one association (ACCU)
- 46 supported universities
- 68 member universities
Awards and scholarships granted by Uniservitate
- 56 experiences from 42 universities in 21 countries recognized by the Uniservitate Award for the best solidarity SL experiences in Catholic Higher Education in the 2022 and 2024 editions.
- 33 research projects carried out by teams from 28 universities in 18 countries, supported by small research grants between 2023 and 2024. A new call for proposals for 2025–2026 is currently being developed.
The institutionalization of service-learning through Uniservitate
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) carried out by the Uniservitate network collects and systematizes information on an annual basis, which is sent to each regional hub and supported university, and is used for informed dialogue and the collaborative development of strategies aimed at institutionalizing SL.
This process is based on the Self-Assessment Rubric for the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education designed by Andrew Furco in 1998 with the aim of providing a mechanism to measure the level at which service-learning is embedded within the practices, culture, and ethos of higher education institutions. Applied to member institutions of Campus Compact, the largest and oldest association of higher education institutions dedicated to civic and community engagement in higher education in the United States, the rubric has been informed by Western and Northern Hemisphere perspectives on the advancement and institutionalization of service-learning. As the application of the rubric spread more widely to higher education institutions in other countries over the years, different variants of the instrument emerged.
The 22 components covering the five dimensions of the rubric are applicable to all institutions interested in institutionalizing service-learning.
- Philosophy and mission of SL
- Faculty involvement in SL
- Student and alumni involvement in SL
- Community Partner Organizations, Networks, and Strategic Alliances for SL
- Institutional support for SL
For its application within the framework of Uniservitate, a specific dimension was added to the original dimensions for CHEIs:
- Spitirual Perspective of SL
Based on the data collected through the 2024 M&E Form, we can share the following findings related to the spiritual dimension of SL:
Perspectives of SL
- 40 out of 50 universities have incorporated the SL pedagogical perspective into documents describing their institutional mission. Three of them were in the process of developing this aspect in 2023.
- 36 out of 50 universities have included the philosophical and anthropological perspective of SL in documents describing their institutional mission. Two of them were in the process of developing this aspect in 2023, and one did not initially include it but now does.
- 33 out of 50 universities have incorporated the sociological perspective of SL into documents describing their institutional mission. One of them was in the process of developing this aspect in 2023, two did not include it, and two others were not aware of this information, but now they are.
- 27 out of 50 universities have included the spiritual perspective of SL in documents describing their institutional mission. One of them was in the process of developing this aspect in 2023, two did not have it, and two others, which were unaware of this information, now have it.
- Although the spiritual perspective of SL is the least included in documents describing the institutional mission of universities, progress has been made compared to the previous year.
Knowledge production linked to spirituality
- More than half of universities report having research and knowledge production lines oriented toward the common good, while exactly half produce knowledge linked to the dialogue between faith and reason.
- 44% of universities have both characteristics.
- 14% are in the process of developing them.
- 8% have neither, and 14% have no information on the matter.
- The remaining 20% have only one of the two, either established or in development. In summary, both variables show a strong relationship, given that in 8 out of 10 cases their status is the same.
Institutional relationship with the Church
- The link between universities and the local/regional/international Church fosters the development of the spiritual dimension. Moreover, the Church is a key actor in forming networks and strategic alliances for SL.
- 76% of universities have a high level of engagement with the Local Church.
- 58% have a high level of engagement with the Regional Church (represented, for example, by regional councils of Catholic education or a congregation with that territorial scope).
- 42% have a high level of engagement with the International Church (represented, for example, by a Vatican affiliate program or a global organization).
To learn more about the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education visit our Uniservitate Collection.
If you would like to learn more about the M&E process applied to your institution, you can consult the Uniservitate representatives in the hub corresponding to your region.
