Tom Schnaubelt on Principles and Pathways: Exploring Frameworks and Tools for Public Service
Cardinal Quarter: Deep Community Immersion
The Cardinal Quarter, according to Schnaubelt, is a key component of Cardinal Service, encouraging students to dedicate a full-time quarter to an immersive service experience. He explains that this involves students disengaging from campus life to embed themselves in a community, supported by stipends. This initiative aims to provide students with an extended period of deep engagement in a community setting.
Ethical Service Principles Outlined
Schnaubelt outlines seven principles of ethical and effective service, including preparation, humility, reciprocity, safety, diversity, clear expectations, and reflection. He emphasizes that these principles are not linear but rather pillars to be embedded within each program. These principles aim to guide students in habitualizing ethical practices as they engage in public service.
Pathways Framework Aims for Broader Engagement
Tom Schnaubelt explains that the Haas Center developed six pathways of public service to broaden the scope of student engagement beyond direct service. He notes that these pathways—activism, community-engaged research, direct service, philanthropy, public policy/politics, and social entrepreneurship—aim to address angular tendencies among students and divisions within the field. The goal is to create a framework where students see these pathways as interconnected and part of their future lives.
Diagnostic Tool Aims to Guide Programming
Schnaubelt details the goals for the pathways diagnostic tool, including advising students, guiding programming, and capturing empirical evidence about college students' engagement in public service. He explains that the tool is designed to help students reflect on their predispositions and guide the Haas Center's programming based on student needs. The tool also aims to track changes in student attitudes and behaviors over time.
Tool's Design Emphasizes Examples
Tom Schnaubelt notes that the tool provides a definition for each pathway, followed by a series of examples, and emphasizes that the examples are more important than the definitions. He explains that users primarily look at the examples to understand the basis of each pathway. This design choice aims to make the tool more accessible and relatable to students.
Data Visualization Aids Advising
Schnaubelt describes how the tool generates a data visualization that plots relative strengths on a six-sided vector arm, showing how strongly a student identifies with each pathway. He explains that this visualization has been particularly useful for staff in advising students, allowing them to discuss different aspects of their perceived impact, experience, interests, and strengths. This feature aims to facilitate more meaningful conversations and personalized guidance.
Pilot Data Reveals Institutional Differences
Tom Schnaubelt shares pilot data comparing student predispositions at Stanford and St. Mary's College, revealing that while social entrepreneurship and activism rates were similar, direct service was far more pronounced at St. Mary's. He explains that this data provides insights into how different institutions' predispositions can be compared. This analysis aims to inform program development and tailor initiatives to specific institutional contexts.
Gender Differences Highlighted
Schnaubelt presents data on gender differences, noting that women are generally more engaged in public service activities than men. He explains that the data showed women scoring higher in every pathway, though the difference was less pronounced in social entrepreneurship. This analysis aims to inform how the Haas Center frames its work to better engage both men and women in public service.
Tool's Potential Uses
Tom Schnaubelt summarizes the potential uses of the tool for advising, program development, and research, including cohort studies to assess the impact of interventions. He explains that the tool could help understand demographic differences and differences by institutional types. This overview aims to encourage collaboration and further exploration of the tool's capabilities.
Institutional Support Relies on Persistent Communication
Tom Schnaubelt shares that gaining institutional support for the Cardinal initiative required relentless communication and framing the initiative in a way that resonated with Stanford's culture. He explains that the administration saw the initiative as a way to support students and address issues they were facing. This approach aims to create a coherent framework that is distinctively Stanford.
