This effort, spearheaded by the Office of Community Service Learning, a program of the San Francisco Urban Institute, is believed to make SFSU the first college west of the Mississippi to include on transcripts student community volunteer work that is completed as part of their coursework.

It works like this: Approved community service learning courses completed by a student are noted on the transcript, along with the total number of community service hours that the student performed that semester, and cumulatively throughout his or her SFSU career. A student must perform a minimum of 20 hours per semester in courses designated by OCSL for the hours to be included on a transcript.

"The benefits for students are tremendous," says Perla Barrientos, OCSL director. "It shows you can work with people and are willing to provide for your community at large."

Barrientos says that, in a competitive job market, more employers and graduate schools are seeking applicants with volunteer experience.

She adds that inclusion of community service hours on student transcripts provides proof that the student completed the amount of volunteer work in the community that he or she claims on a resume and in interviews. This gives SFSU students an advantage over their counterparts at most other universities.

SFSU has long been considered a leader in community service learning -- a teaching method that incorporates academic study with community service experiences. In 2003-2004, about 3,000 students took part in service learning classes, contributing more than 132,427 hours to the surrounding community. That contribution would add up to nearly $900,000 if paid at minimum wage. The University offers nearly 170 designated community service learning courses, a number that is expected to grow in coming years.

For further details, visit the OCSL Web site.

-- Matt Itelson