Department of Student Engagement

Statement of Transition and Program Updates

The Department of Student Engagement (DSE) is committed to supporting all students in connecting with and taking part in community engaged work, which centers a community’s voice and needs, works toward the common good, promotes a more just and equitable society, and generates social change. 

The intent of this emerging framework is to expand, rather than constrict, the ways Brandeis University acknowledges and reflects the close partnership between our students and our many community partners. Thus, the Commitment to Service Award Program (CTSA) is undergoing revisions to better reflect these pillars, which we strive to hold at the center of our programs and initiatives. During this time, we appreciate your patience and feedback as we continue to evolve our policies and expand our definition of community engagement. We highly recommend reading and browsing the policy below, as there are many opportunities to participate in this transition.

DSE recognizes that there may be situations where it is difficult to determine whether or not an activity or event aligns with the current CTSA policy, and we encourage students to submit an EngageDeis request form and/or email the department at engagedeis@brandeis.edu with any questions or concerns. 

Service hours completed in the following activities and categories are approved for tracking service hours (impacts) on EngageDeis and/or for the CTSA program:

• Direct community service activities (e.g., tutoring, building homes, visiting elderly)

• Indirect service activities (e.g., fundraisers, community organizing)

• Community Organizing (e.g., voter registration drives, community gardens)

• Mandated community service hours

• Service-related spring break trips

• Self-initiated community volunteer work independent of Brandeis (e.g., independent volunteer work such as volunteering with a non-profit organization) but conducted while a current student

• International Brandeis-related community service initiatives, including those that occurred while participating in a University approved study abroad program

• Religious education (e.g., teaching Sunday School or Hebrew School) or volunteering at your place of worship

• Advocacy-related activities (e.g., organizing a voter registration drive, collecting signatures for a petition, writing letters to legislators, etc.) 

NOTE: Examples of activities that do not count for advocacy related activities include but are not limited to door-to-door proselytizing; protesting outside of a group of underrepresented individuals convening; and service hours related to political campaigning in support of a particular candidate or political party.

NOTE: Service completed during a semester in which the student was not enrolled at the university or in a Brandeis-sponsored program cannot be logged for ethical data purposes. Students on a leave of absence are not eligible to participate in the CTSA program during the leave, but are able to resume participation upon their return.

For mid-year students, if you participate in a Brandeis approved program prior to arriving to campus in January, the direct service hours can be included with the submission of an hours verification letter.

For transfer students, if you participated in a similar program at a different university and are seeking to transfer these hours to the CTSA program, please have a staff advisor from your previous institution submit a letter on official letterhead documenting your community service hours by mail or email.

Service hours completed in the following activities and categories are approved for tracking service hours (impacts) on EngageDeis and/or for the CTSA program:

• Meeting hours spent planning a community service activity (planning group social/bonding activities cannot be tracked) 
• Office hours can only be counted for time spent engaging with students and/or community (for example, if you are "on call" for 5 hours but only spent 2 hours actively engaging with a person or service related activity, you can only track those 2 hours). 
• Projects sponsored by student clubs/organizations that provide a service to the local community. 
• Trainings for service related activities
• Projects sponsored by service clubs affiliated with the Department of Student Engagement.

Service hours completed in the following activities and categories are approved for tracking service hours (impacts) on EngageDeis and/or for the CTSA program:

• Direct service projects, planning activities, and reflection hours (only reflection hours that happen outside of class in a community project should be counted, NOT in-class reflection)  associated with a community-engaged learning course.

NOTE: For hours spent working on an independent or collaborative research project under all academic disciplines (biology, psychology, history, etc.) that has a community service component (e.g., citizen science and other community-based research), please complete the EngageDeis request form.

Service hours completed in the following activities and categories are approved for tracking service hours (impacts) on EngageDeis and/or for the CTSA program:

• For internship hours related to a program or department at Brandeis, please submit an individual request form. This includes (but is not limited to) the HSSP program internship component, social impact courses at IBS, and student teaching and practicum hours.
• For other internship hours (e.g. with a non-profit), DSE encourages students to complete an individual EngageDeis request form. 

NOTE: Observation or practicum hours (e.g., hours spent shadowing a physician, medical professional, or teacher) that are part of a degree requirements and do not include direct community service are not approved for tracking.

Service hours completed in the following activities and categories are approved for tracking service hours (impacts) on EngageDeis and/or for the CTSA program:

Currently, activities and work for which a student is paid wages or a stipend is under review, except for the following qualifications:

• Participation in some, but not all, community engaged fellowship programs (e.g., Roses in Concrete, the Community Engagement Ambassador Program [CEAP] and the Rich/Collins Community Leadership and Impact Fellowship [R/C CLIF]).
• Work in the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative (BEJI). 
• Participation and hours from some, but not all, service scholarship programs may be transferable.

NOTE: DSE strongly encourages students to submit a EngageDeis request form for paid and compensated work that centers a community’s voice and needs, works toward the common good, promotes a more just and equitable society, and generates social change. Please contact the department at engagedeis@brandeis.edu with any questions or concerns.

The Commitment to Service Award Advisory Committee actively reviews categories of service that directly impacts the university. Those involved with student clubs, organizations, leadership positions, and activities which fall in this category arestrongly encouraged to complete the EngageDeis request form to provide more information about the ways in which their organization, activity or event centers a community’s voice and needs, works toward the common good, promotes a more just and equitable society, and generates social change.

Transportation hours are defined as any hours spent in transportation to and from a service related activity.

The Department of Student Engagement will approve up to 15 hours per semester for transportation. This means that travel time to and from service related events, up to 15 hours, can be logged on EngageDeis and counted towards your total hours served. 

Please note that this policy is currently under review. If you have specific questions about the policy, please contact engagedeis@brandeis.edu.