Volunteerism and Gratitude

A student’s collegiate experience is formative for the person they will be long after their time on campus, a fact which underscores the importance of intentionality and culture in the higher education institutions that shape them. The implications of this are felt in every aspect of the student experience, prompting Baylor researchers to study virtue formation in college students.

Sarah Madsen, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Education, has served on an interdisciplinary team of researchers who are part of a $2.7 million project examining numerous contexts of virtue formation, including service, volunteerism and generosity. As a Christian institution which mentions service alongside leadership in its very mission statement, a thorough understanding of the factors that promote generosity in spirit and action would be important, both through determination of best practices and data from real students who are part of this real-world laboratory.

In short, a culture of encouraging students to love ones’ neighbor pays dividends for students and the people they serve.

“Institutions value volunteering,” Madsen said, “and campus messaging that highlight traditions in that area, what it means to be a student and providing them platforms to plug in and give back help further motivate student generosity in these areas.”

A Caring Community

At Baylor, the concept of a caring community underscores the importance of service both close to home and around the world. The University fosters partnerships with organizations across numerous areas of discipline and need, and provides opportunities to travel to address needs around the world through missions trips, annual service events like Steppin’ Out and more. 

These values have been a part of the University since its early days, and research projects like Madsen’s provide further insight to build, foster and promote involvement among students. Researchers interviewed more than 300 students across time in a longitudinal study to understand their actions and motivations. What they found highlights the importance of tying opportunities to gratitude and development.

“It’s helpful to think about gratitude and generosity together,” Madsen said. “We found that students are grateful for the opportunity to go to college and recognize it is a big deal. They’re translating this posture of gratitude into action while they’re in college. With this, we looked closely at student volunteering. We learned that a sense of reciprocity is a major reason why students volunteer. We further found that professional development is another motivator, as students recognize that service in an area that ties to their career interests is great experience.”

This research both highlights the importance of Baylor’s focus on a culture of service and care, while further providing insights that can be used to reach students—and it’s not just Baylor, but any institution which seems to form these virtues in its students.

“I think it’s more pressing for us as scholars and practitioners to make sure that students have these kinds of opportunities and to help students see how these opportunities shape the person they’ll be after college. College certainly offers financial rewards for students, but it goes way beyond that, and encouraging the gratitude that students feel into opportunities to give back is affirming to everyone involved.”