The California State University Chancellor’s Office has appointed Rich Berrett, professor of child and family sciences at California State University, Fresno, to the systemwide Office of Community Service Learning, effective in January.

Service learning ties relevant community service to academic content, using critical reflection activities to strengthen learning and development. Fresno State, a leader in the service-learning field, offers more than 150 service-learning course sections each year.

In his new job, Berrett will promote faculty activities in civic engagement. Included are scholarship through service learning and community involvement and seeking grants to support development initiatives that encourage related teaching, research and publications.

Berrett, who received his doctorate in marriage and family therapy from Florida State University, has been a Fresno State faculty member since 1969. He retired in 2004, but has worked under contract. He has helped obtained grants to fund faculty programs in service learning, including a project in South Africa. He has taught service-learning seminars the past five years and has presented professional workshops and seminars on service learning and civic engagement.

For more information contained in this release, please go to the following Web site: www.csufresno.edu/s1/