. . . my argument is that every course is inherently an investigation, an experiment, a journey motivated by purpose and beset by uncertainty. A course, therefore, in its design, enactment, and analysis, is as much an act of inquiry and invention as any other activity more traditionally called "research" or the scholarship of discovery. (Shulman, 1998, 5)

As a compositionist, I find the current interest in the scholarship of teaching both gratifying and encouraging. Those of us who teach writing as a primary specialty have been engaged in the scholarship of teaching from the first day we encouraged a student to commit thought to paper. "Teaching" students to write is what we (try to) do. Deciding how best to facilitate the development of the reading/writing/critical thinking processes of students with different intelligences, learning styles, literacy experiences, and motivation constitutes an ongoing -- if not always articulated or formalized -- scholarship.

Teaching general education courses is not for the faint of heart. Those first two years -- but especially that first semester -- offer a time of enculturation for students into postsecondary ways of learning/thinking/being. No one calls home if they miss class or fall behind in their work. They have to budget time for the intellectual rigors (we hope) of the university curriculum as well as time for social and extracurricular activities and work schedules. And, of course, at George Mason University, most students have the onerous task of commuting to campus to face the ubiquitous parking "problem."

Teaching first-year students in their first semester can be particularly challenging. According to research reported by Peggy Chalker, Associate Director, Educational Programs and Research at George Mason University, students tend to decide whether or not they will be returning the second semester during the first six weeks of this crucial first term. Consequently, first impressions are important for retention. Students want to feel that they belong to their school, that they fit in and that they have a support system if they need it. On the other hand, faculty want to ensure that these students have a solid curricular grounding for their future educational experiences at the institution. So how can a course (or a group of courses) provide a nurturing (but not overprotective) atmosphere that both helps student negotiate that first semester in college yet still provides a rigorous curriculum? And how can we ensure that ours is an institution that invites students to stay?

In the February issue of inventio, David Potter (1999) posed the question "Is George Mason a learning-centered university?" He framed his discussion within the Ten Principles of Learning and invited conversation based on these principles and their applicability to the George Mason community. I would like to join this conversation by describing the Community Service Link, a teaching/learning project at Mason, in which I was involved from fall 1995 through fall 1998.