Glossary
Main content start
Find definitions for some of the terms used in Cardinal Service programs and throughout this website.
| Advising | An opportunity to meet with a program or career advisor who can provide information and guidance on program offerings or career development support at a drop-in or scheduled appointment |
| Cardinal Course Grant | Funding available to instructors to support development and execution of a Cardinal Course |
| Cardinal Service Ambassador | A representative who connects residents in upperclass (non-frosh) dorms to service opportunities and spread the word about Cardinal Service |
| Cardinal Service Notation | A symbol on a student transcript that formally recognizes their public service commitment and completion of the Cardinal Service Notation requirements |
| Career mixer | Networking event specifically designed to introduce participants to others with similar career interests or professional histories |
| Career treks | Field trip, typically hosted by Stanford Career Education or the Haas Center for Public Service, to the offices of various organizations to hear from their employees and learn more about the work they do |
| Certify (Cardinal Commitment) |
The process of indicating completion of your three quarters with a Cardinal Commitment effort. It involves completing an online form in which you will certify that you completed all requirements of Cardinal Commitment and reflect on your experience |
| Civic engagement | Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern |
| Civic identity | An individual’s cultivation of identity around their purpose in shaping a more just and sustainable world |
| Community center | Center that supports students who seek services associated with a particular group or community. Each center has its own site and professional staff who advise students and coordinate programs that foster intellectual, personal, and cultural growth |
| Community Engaged Learning Coordinator (CELC) | An undergraduate student employed to support Cardinal Course faculty by reducing administrative workload, enhancing class discussions, and helping students with projects. |
| Community engagement | Collaboration between institutions and their larger communities (local, state/regional, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in the context of partnership and reciprocity |
| Community partner | Community organization and/or government agency that collaborates with Cardinal Service programs to create opportunities that foster a reciprocal relationship of addressing community needs while developing students as public service practitioners and leaders |
| Community Service Work-Study | A federal program that provides employment opportunities for students who are eligible for financial aid |
| Community-engaged learning | A practice that involves faculty, students, and community partners collaborating on projects that have both a positive social impact and support opportunities to conduct research, teach, and learn |
| Community-engaged learning course | A course that aligns academic learning goals with a project or partnership that addressed a community-identified need |
| Declare (Cardinal Commitment) | The process of registering your participation in Cardinal Commitment. It involves completing a online form in which you indicate the organization or group and issue to which you are committing your service for three quarters. It also involves creating a mission statement that expresses your intent and purpose |
| Director of Community Engaged Learning (DCEL) | A subject-matter expert who works with faculty to develop and implement Cardinal Courses |
| Fellowship | Funded service-related employment opportunities that can either be a full-time summer placement through Cardinal Quarter or a 10-24 month placement after graduation through Cardinal Careers |
| GPS Fellows | Recipients of the Graduate Public Service Fellowship, a program that awards fellowships to Stanford graduate students who are exploring and preparing for professorial and other careers that engage community-based research or public scholarship |
| Grant, stipend | A fixed sum of money given for a particular purpose. In the context of internships and fellowships, this funding is typically used toward basic necessities, including food, housing, and transportation |
| Informational interview | Directed conversations with professionals to learn about their experiences in a role, organization, or field in order to inform your own career path |
| Liaison | 1. A representative participating in the Frosh Service Liaison program, a leadership development and outreach program at the Haas Center for Public Service 2. A representative from a community partner organization who interfaces directly with Stanford faculty and students |
| Mission statement (Cardinal Commitment) | Statement of purpose and intent that guides your Cardinal Commitment |
| Networking | Engaging in dialogue with members of your personal and professional communities in order to foster relationships that will support your career development and aspirations |
| Open placement | A placement at a partner organization selected by a participant through a facilitated process administered by a Cardinal Service program staff member |
| Postgraduate fellowship | An opportunity available to or designed for graduating students, including entry-level jobs and fellowships |
| Pre-arranged | An internship or postgraduate fellowship with a community partner identified by the sponsoring campus program. |
| Public interest technology (PIT) | The application of technology expertise to advance the public interest, generate public benefits, and/or promote the public good |
| Public sector | The part of an economy controlled or owned by the government |
| Public service careers | Job, fellowship, and internship opportunities in fields that serve the public good, including, but not limited to: government, nonprofits, NGOs, philanthropy, think tanks, social sector consulting, organized labor, K-12 education, higher education, and public research |
| Self-designed | An internship with a community partner that is identified by the applicant |
| Service | Activities intended to benefit a person, group, or cause for the public good |
| Service learning | Also referred to as community-engaged learning, a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts of service-learning |
| Service year program | Structured one to two-year commitments to serve a cause or community, supported by a modest living stipend and an education award or similar benefits upon completion. Examples include AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Peace Corps. |
| service4all | An e-mail list for announcing public service events, both on and off campus, that are of interest to the Stanford community |
| Working with minors | The policies that guide volunteer service with persons under the age of 18. Working with Minors is also the title of the university-required training for working with youth, a one-hour workshop |