VESA

In the fall of 1999, Allegheny College launched a new academic minor to engage students, faculty, and community partners in theoretical and practical inquiry about the nature of citizenship, service-learning, and democracy. Entitled "Values, Ethics, and Social Action" (VESA), this interdisciplinary academic program allows students to understand social action and its ethics both intellectually and practically.

The minor, with roots in the psychology, philosophy and religious studies, political science and economics departments, strengthens the curricular layer of Allegheny's deep commitment to the Crawford County community. Faculty and students already experience service-learning through academic internships and selected courses in various fields, including environmental science, psychology, political science, and communication arts.

Strong student leadership drives the co-curricular service movement in which over 56% of the student body contribute over 25,000 hours of community service yearly. In 1998-99, 17% of the college's overall work-study budget was allocated to funding student work in local community organizations. The VESA program attempts to illuminate the connections between service to and through organizations with other forms of civic responsibility and action for social change.

Click here to visit the VESA website.