Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

About Leo T. McCarthy and the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good:

Leo T. McCarthy served as a San Francisco County Supervisor, a member and Speaker of the Assembly, and three terms as Lieutenant Governor for the state of California. His public life was characterized by passion, integrity, and a commitment to social justice. He was particularly attuned to the voices of those marginalized by the political process with specific attention to the poor, elderly, and farm workers. An alumnus of USF, he worked to establish the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good in 2002. The Center seeks to inspire and equip students for lives of ethical public service, sponsoring a variety of academic programs, lectures, and projects.

Mission Statement:

The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good seeks to inspire and equip students for lives and careers of ethical public service and serving others.

Vision Statement:

Public Service is viewed as activities that directly contribute to the achievement of a common objective or value, on a public policy level, in areas such as government, business, the environment, healthcare, and education, particularly policies that may affect the poor and disenfranchised. Thus, public service can be performed in the public, nonprofit or private sectors.

The Center will be a national model for interdisciplinary education, research and action that promotes effective, principled civic engagement. Students and faculty who participate in Center programs will contribute to the forging of sound public policies and programs. Goals for the Center include promoting the common good for all and contributing to the creation of just social and economic structures that respect and incorporate the needs of all, including the poor and disenfranchised.

 The Center is dedicated to sponsoring academic programs, public events, service learning opportunities, conferences and faculty and student research that encourage civic engagement and ethical public leadership. The Center will embody the mission of USF which is “to educate leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world.”

Supporting Educational Excellence at USF:

The McCarthy Center is located within the College of Arts and Sciences at USF, and as such it supports the multiple facets of academic excellence that comprise the USF experience. In addition to supporting the mission USF “to educate leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world,” the McCarthy Center’s mission and vision is clearly intertwined with the USF 2028 Planning Document. As the USF 2028 Planning Document states,

“USF offers students a demanding, integrated and holistic education that is  the product of our Jesuit Catholic tradition, our San Francisco  location, a global perspective and the diverse experiences, perspectives and opinions within the University community and the Bay Area. These qualifiers are not discreet attributes that may be easily separated from one another, but five closely interwoven strands that together, and only together, are the “whole cloth” of educational excellence in our distinctive Jesuit tradition.”

As San Francisco’s first university, the history of USF and the history of San Francisco are interwoven. As an urban university, USF has a unique opportunity, and responsibility, to serve the citizens of San Francisco and the world. McCarthy Center programs are a key part of the demanding, integrated and holistic education that USF students receive.

McCarthy Center Programs

The McCarthy Center offers support for the development of service-learning courses, and directs the following programs:  academic internship opportunities (both domestic and international), an undergraduate certificate and minor, and a graduate degree program. For more information on each of our programs, please visit our website at www.usfca.edu/centers/mccarthy

Service- Learning

Service-learning courses are an integral component of the University of San Francisco’s undergraduate curriculum, providing students with community-based lessons about social justice issues and their own potential to be agents of change. The Service-Learning program includes Faculty Development, Advocates for Community Engagement and Community Partner Development.

Service-Learning Seminar for Faculty
The McCarthy Center invites USF faculty of all disciplines to participate in six seminar sessions designed to enhance understanding of service-learning theory and practice, guide development or revision of a service-learning course syllabus, and nurture equitable sustained partnerships with community organizations.  Faculty Service-Learning Seminars are generally offered each semester.  Participants receive a stipend upon completion of the seminar and submission of a syllabus to their college’s curriculum committee.

Faculty Consultations
McCarthy Center staff are available to meet with faculty regarding their community-based learning course development, planning, implementation, and debriefing.  Assistance is provided with identification of potential community collaborators, partnership dynamics, syllabus construction, and pedagogical components such as reflection and assessment.

ACE Program
In this paid position, an Advocate for Community Engagement (ACE) makes a one-year commitment to work on site at a Bay Area non-profit organization  or in partnership with a service-learning course to facilitate meaningful service-learning experiences for USF students.

Service-Learning Seminar for Community Partners
The Community Partner Service-Learning Seminar welcomes nonprofit staff interested in fostering sustainable, reciprocal service-learning partnerships with USF faculty and students. Community Partner Service-Learning Seminars are generally offered twice a year.  Participants receive a stipend upon completion of the seminar.

Partnership Assistance
The McCarthy Center coordinates relationships between faculty and community partners, helping to cultivate partnerships in which course objective and organizational goals are reciprocally met. We also offer consultations in which we work with partners to develop service project ideas and identify compatible USF courses.

International Academic Internships

Global Service Learning: Latin America and Africa
Since 2008 the McCarthy Center, in partnership with the Sarlo Family Foundation and the Foundation for Sustainable Development, has offered a global service-learning program that begins with a preparatory course in the spring semester, extends through the summer with a ten-week sustainable development internship abroad, and culminates with an intensive reflection and research-focused course in the fall.   

Public Policy Academic Internships

USF in DC    
A semester-long program in conjunction with American University (AU) in Washington D.C., USF in DC combines voluntary service as an intern with relevant coursework. Students divide their time between working at their internship placement and taking courses taught by AU faculty.  Participating students concentrate in one of 10 program areas: American Politics, Global Economics & Business, Foreign Policy, Islam & World Affairs, International Law & Organizations, International Environment and Development, Journalism, Justice of Law, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Transforming Communities.   In the past, Environment and Development students have visited Brazil and South Africa. Peace and Conflict Resolution students have traveled to Northern Ireland and Bosnia/Kosovo.

McCarthy Fellows Summer in Sacramento
This is a summer program that combines service in a government internship and participation in a California politics seminar class. Students are placed in an internship position in a state legislative or executive office during the 12-week USF summer session. Opportunities include placements with the state auditor's office, assembly and senate offices, and caucuses. Concurrently, students attend a seminar class once a week on California politics. The program includes housing, a stipend to help offset the student's expenses and 4-8 credit units.

Sarlo Scholars Global Service-Learning Program

The Sarlo Scholars Program is a series of three interconnected interdisciplinary courses that provides transformative educational opportunities for students by combining community-based sustainable development summer projects abroad with intensive educational programming on campus in spring and fall semesters.  Sarlo Scholars gain appreciation for their responsibilities as global citizens, build knowledge of sustainable development practices, and cultivate personal and professional skills and values consistent with USF's mission.

Masters in Public Affairs (MoPA)

The McCarthy Center graduate program in Public Affairs and Practical Politics (MoPA) provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective political action by merging hands-on experiences with rigorous graduate seminars and internship experiences.  This 16 month program taught by practitioners in the field of politics and community advocacy culminates with a full-time graduate-level internship that allows students to put their coursework into practice.  Graduates are prepared to pursue careers that make a difference in nonprofits, governmental offices, political entities and the private sector.

Undergraduate Courses of Study

Public Service Certificate
The Public Service Certificate Program is an interdisciplinary program for students in any major interested in acquiring some background and skills for public service. Students take three courses designated as McCarthy Courses offered through various departments on campus.

Public Service Minor
The Public Service Minor is an innovative, intense, interdisciplinary program open to all USF students regardless of their major. The Minor provides the analytical, organizational and advocacy skills and preparation needed for sophisticated public service. The three-year, 24-credit selective program includes internships, mentoring, service learning, the study of public service ethics, research, and a senior thesis. Scholarships are available to outstanding students. Graduates of the program will be honored as "McCarthy Scholars" at commencement.