CUMU Conference 2019

More and more universities are integrating the goal of engagement into their strategic plans and into their work with the broader community to address the complex challenges being created by the rapidly changing social, economic and environmental issues facing our world today. This session will explore recent experiences in creating conditions within an institutional environment and within the broader community that support community engagement. We will discuss the distribution of resources, patterns of collaboration across different parts of the institution and across disciplines and changes in institutional policies and infrastructure. We will reflect on practices that support new forms of engaged scholarship and engaged learning, as well as new patterns of interaction with different sectors of the broader community. Our experience offers lessons about (a) which aspects of the structure and practices of a university are most essential for the support of community engagement in its various forms; (b) ways to create conditions to support more sustainable and meaningful community engagement; (c) adaptations that capture the value and impact of engagement. We will also explore how community engagement in its many forms can impact scholarly activities, the design of the curriculum, and the engagement and involvement of students, faculty and staff in advancing the goal of community engagement. We will offer suggestions about questions that a campus community can ask itself as it seeks to create a supportive environment for engagement and the assessment of the outcomes and value of engagement in its various forms.