Alternative Spring Break, a phenomenon that emerged in the early 1980s as a reaction to the more traditional party-heavy trips favored by college students, is one of many community service opportunities available to MSU students. In the last half-century, the university has sent students into the community and around the world with a variety of successful outreach programs.

Some high schools require a certain number of volunteer hours for students to earn a diploma. Universities, while providing more diverse opportunities, are less insistent. Community service generally waves politely from the sidelines, cordoned off from academic life — available, certainly, but easy to ignore.

The value of volunteerism in the classroom, however, should not be underestimated.

A highly cited 1993 study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Michigan sought to identify the relationship between academic learning and integrated service work. What they found was a very persuasive connection.

In an experiment that compared two sections of a political science class, one that engaged in community service or activism as a semester long project and another that wrote a longer term paper instead, researchers found that students who participated in volunteer work rated their experience in the class as significantly more influential on their personal views and value system.

Students who engaged in service rated the class as more enjoyable and had better attendance at lectures.

The kicker: The service-learning students had better grades.

What this study shows is service, when integrated into an academic program, cannot only enhance the students’ personal and educational experiences, but also measurably improve learning.

We have seen similar effects from undergraduate research. Michigan State is one of the nation’s leading research institutions, and its students prove over and over the benefits of engaging in this form of learning outside the classroom.

We should look at service the same way. Its social benefits are well-documented, but its academic potential appears to be as yet untapped.

It looks as though MSU is on the right track. Its social science programs, such as James Madison College, are very involved in community outreach and activism. The Honors College actually allows students to earn Honors credit through service-focused Honors Option programs.

Opportunities such as these should be expanded. Community service is not limited to the social sciences, certainly. One can easily imagine academically relevant outreach projects for any given major; biology students could work with an environmental organization, theatre and fine arts students with local grade school and high school programs, and foreign language students could engage with the area’s diverse ethnic communities. The opportunities are endless.

However, keeping service separate from academics only lessens its appeal. Although I would not advocate a service requirement for graduation, there are many other ways to give students credit for their outreach.

For example, departments could mimic the Honors Option framework, in which professors would suggest a service project that integrates course topics and applies concepts to actual problems. After completion of the project, students might earn a citation of some kind, such as the Honors “H,” that goes beyond simply adding another line on one’s résumé.

A carefully constructed service project can have a profound impact on a person’s outlook and values. When brought into the classroom, it has the added benefit of enhancing learning. As an educational institution, Michigan State should do its best to encourage this alternative form of learning.

So for those sporting a few extra shades of spring break tan, maybe next year will be the time to trade the swimsuit for the sweatshirt.

Craig Pearson is a State News guest columnist and biochemistry junior. Reach him at pears53@msu.edu.