Institutionalizing service-learning at UCP: reflections through international standards

This paper presents a critical reflection on the institutionalization of Service- Learning (SL) at Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) between 2020 and 2025. Anchored in UCP’s Strategic Development Plan, which positions Social Responsibility and Sustainability as institutional priorities, SL was adopted as a strategic initiative to promote pedagogical innovation and civic engagement across all four campuses. Drawing on two internationally recognized frameworks – Furco’s Self-Assessment Rubric (1999) and the European Guidelines for the Institutionalization of SL (Ribeiro, Aramburuzabala & Paz-Lourido, 2021) – this study examines the extent to which UCP’s SL strategy aligns with global standards and contributes to a sustainable model of institutional integration. The research followed a mixed-methods case study design, combining document analysis, quantitative data from structured surveys administered to students, faculty, and community partners, and stakeholder open-ended survey responses, collected over eight semesters. The findings reveal a significant expansion of SL across 13 academic units and 25 programs, involving 2 495 students, 62 faculty members, and 176 community partners. UCP’s engagement with international networks such as UNISERVITATE and Transform for Europe European Alliance further reinforced institutional capacity and visibility. The results highlight key achievements – including increased curricular integration, faculty development, and international recognition – while also identifying ongoing challenges related to quality assurance, faculty engagement, and long-term sustainability. Lessons learned underscore the importance of strategic alignment, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and evidence-based planning in embedding SL as a core institutional practice. By offering a conceptually grounded and data-informed analysis, this paper contributes to the broader discourse on SL institutionalization in European higher education and provides transferable insights for institutions seeking to advance SL as a transformative educational approach.