Purdue is taking a significant step forward in enhancing its commitment to experiential education by integrating its Office of Service-Learning into the Office of Experiential Education. While the Service-Learning program will continue to deliver all its existing services, the restructuring aims to create more cohesive and robust processes for both programs within Purdue’s World Readiness unit.

The integration follows the transition of Lindsey Payne, former director of Service-Learning, to a new role within the College of Engineering. As a result, the Office of Service-Learning will now be housed within the Office of Experiential Education, overseen by director Kat Stremiecki.

“This change will make our support to campus even stronger and more cohesive than ever before,” said Jen Dobbs-Oates, Associate Vice Provost for World Readiness at Purdue. "Service-Learning is, after all, a form of experiential education, so it makes perfect sense for it to be integrated within this unit.”

Dobbs-Oates emphasized that despite the structural change, the support for faculty and students involved in Service-Learning will remain steadfast. “Faculty can continue to expect support in designing and integrating Service-Learning into their courses. The Service-Learning Fellows Program and grants will also continue as planned, ensuring that the initiatives and opportunities that our community has come to rely on remain stable.”

The move also aims to ensure a more sustainable and well-supported framework for Service-Learning at Purdue, which has long been recognized as a key component of the university’s land-grant mission. Dobbs-Oates highlighted the significant contributions of Payne in advancing the program, noting that her leadership has been instrumental in cultivating meaningful partnerships between Purdue and the Greater Lafayette community.

“Lindsey has been a remarkable advocate for Service-Learning, helping the entire university recognize its value and fostering bidirectional relationships that benefit both the community and our students,” Dobbs-Oates said. “Her work has been crucial in helping Purdue lean into its mission of engaging with the community and making it better.”

As the transition takes effect, the Experiential Education team, under Stremiecki’s leadership, will continue to prioritize Service-Learning as an integral part of the university’s experiential education offerings. This integration reflects Purdue’s ongoing commitment to preparing students for real-world challenges and opportunities by embedding practical, community-focused experiences into their education.

“The Experiential Education staff have a strong background in teaching service-learning courses or coordinating programs. We are very excited to have the opportunity to work more directly with the Purdue community and our community partners through service-learning,” Stremiecki shared. “My own start in experiential ed came from coordinating service-learning mini grants, so I am very excited to get to work with our students through this particular program.”

The change is effective immediately and affiliated offerings will extend to Purdue’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations, ensuring that the Service-Learning program continues to thrive and evolve to serve Purdue’s dynamic student community.

Last Updated: Aug. 6, 2024