Letter to the Editors – Regarding Gordon in Lynn

Dear Tartan Editors,

Thank you for continuing to serve the campus community and for your concern about opportunities for students to serve and learn off-campus. In the March 29th issue, your article “Gordon in Lynn – An Enduring Relationship Severed,” offered students’ perspectives on 2014-15 events related to the Office of Community Engagement and the Gordon in Lynn programs. I appreciated the thoroughness of the article and note in particular your inclusion of the efforts to maintain relationships in Lynn. Unfortunately, the title of the article was not accurate. It is true Gordon lost the ability to work with the Lynn school system in 2014, but many other partnerships in Lynn persisted. This may seem like a technicality, since the article itself acknowledged the efforts to maintain a relationship with the city, but it is an important distinction as the work of academic service learning, local outreach teams, and college bound moves forward:  local outreach and the college bound program both continued after some partnerships were severed, and the college assessed and planned how to best continue to provide service learning opportunity for students.  As the college continues to move forward with building a strong academic service learning program—with community partners and by hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA member on campus—I think it is helpful to recognize the college’s larger and continuous commitment to community relationships and programs that provide opportunities for student growth and community benefit.

Thank you,

Greg Bish, Ph.D.

Director of Service Learning