If it is to be effective, the University's community of trust requires a commitment on the part of each student, not just the natural joiners. Student self-governance is sometimes cumbersome and always open to criticism from those who stand on the sidelines and think they could do it better, but it is a powerful tradition that has given U.Va. While honoring the self-governance tradition, it can be made even more powerful through a stronger partnership among students and faculty. Self-governance is a way of organizing ourselves that says much about what we value, but it is also intended to be a learning experience. And while it is sometimes said that experience is the best teacher, it is a crude one even at its finest.
Reflection is again the key.
One of the most potent partnerships in enhancing the educational power of students' experiences is service learning. Service learning links community service and academic study so that each strengthens the other. Through service learning, students make connections between the challenges and social problems encountered in service work and the theories and perspectives learned in the classroom. U.Va., with its strong tradition of student community service, is ripe for innovations in service learning. It is important to recognize that not every student feels a part of this rich tradition.