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University of Redlands
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Foundational Indicators
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Institutional Identity and Culture
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Does the institution indicate that community engagement is a priority in its mission statement or vision? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. The Universities mission statement is specific in addressing a commitment to educating the head and the heart. “…A Redlands education goes beyond training, to embrace a reflective understanding of our world; it proceeds from information to insight, from knowledge to meaning. Welcoming intellectually curious students of diverse religious, ethnic, national and socio-economic backgrounds, the University seeks to develop responsible citizenship as part of a complete education.”
Directly supporting the University mission is the mission statement for the Office of Community Service Learning. It reads; “The Office of Community Service Learning supports, recognizes, and promotes the educational benefits of learning through service, enabling U of R students to seize opportunities to build healthier, stronger communities.”
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Does the institution formally recognize community engagement through awards and celebrations? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. The University of Redlands awards and celebrates staff, faculty and students who participate in community engagement and service outreach. The following awards are presented at Honors Convocations, Club and Organization Awards ceremonies, and the All University Holiday Luncheon. These awards recognize individuals or groups who make service part in their scholarship and lives. They are as follows: The Frank J. Rice Community Service Award for Staff and Faculty, The Ann S. Lucas Community Service Summer Internship, The Taylor Family Community Service Award, The Taylor Family Community Service Scholarship, The Alumni Association Award for Service, The Douglas R. Moore Award for Community Service, the Greek Community Service Outreach Award and the Club and Organization Community Service Award for Overall Service.
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Does the institution have a system for assessing community perceptions about the effectiveness of the institution’s engagement with community? Yes / No; Describe the system
Yes. University of Redlands students serve (at minimum) two to three hundred non-profit schools and agencies around the world each academic year. Our local agencies and schools are asked to complete a needs expectation — Community Service Activity (CSAC) profile on how the university can participate in providing support and outreach. These requests are updated every year by the Office of Community Service Learning and include questions about the position or placement skill requirements, bilingual requirements and other essential information in assessing the Universities ability to create an outreach opportunity — either a group/class or individual.
Additionally, he University of Redlands requires each undergraduate to participate in a meaningful and engaging service experience and the community’s voice and their assessment is given the utmost consideration. Local agencies receiving student outreach placements are expected to assess student performance and provide feedback to the student and University. Many of our local non-profit agencies and schools have come to rely heavily on student and University support. With placements numbering in the hundreds each year, our off-campus partners and their perceptions of the universities effectiveness are vital to reciprocity. Additionally, we ask parents of children receiving tutors to evaluate their experience and site grade improvement. We request children in our tutorial and mentoring programs to evaluate the program and college students serving them. Our non-profit agency partners are also expected to complete an assessment of our student outreach and students complete an evaluation of the agency and the process.
In addition to an agencies request for service and their assessment of students are the intentional conversations that take place throughout the year for non-profit participants to communicate and share information. These collaborations include the University of Redlands hosting the Inland Empire Non-Profit Agency Conferences, service learning staff serving on off-campus committees throughout the community, and personal site visits to our local constituencies in service.
Does the institution use the assessment data? Yes / No
Yes. Within the context of on-going conversations with community partners, as well as our community service activity profiles and student evaluations, we accumulate a thorough assessment of what our community needs. We use the data to build courses and programs such as VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Jaspers Corner Homework Club as well as service learning course such as Ropes Course Leadership. The Office of Community Service Learning has over fifteen years of evaluations from agencies helping us build proper placements for students. These assessments are pivotal indicators of how the universities involvement with non-profits can be sustained and enhanced. In short, we use all of the feedback we can get to place students in the most meaningful and engaging placement possible.
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Is community engagement emphasized in the marketing materials (web site, brochures, etc.) of the institution? Yes / No; Describe the materials
Yes. The University of Redlands believes in, and has built a culture of service, and much of our marketing material emphasizes the point. Our most recent student “Prospectus”, known on other campuses as “the view book” has two entire color page dedicated to community service outreach. The pages describe service as part of a complete Redlands experience which includes opportunities to travel abroad and serve or, to walk across the street and tutor at Franklin Elementary School. The pages also include two student perspectives on how service made a difference in their Redlands experience and how Redlands has built service into the curriculum.
Additionally, the Office of Community Service Learning (CSL) website http://www.redlands.edu/x13304.xml is specifically designated for outreach and service learning information. This site demonstrates the breadth of activities students and staff can participate in as well as informing students how to successfully navigate their community service activity requirement.
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Institutional Commitment Required Documentation
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Does the executive leadership (President, Provost, Chancellor, Trustees etc.) of the institution communicate explicitly to promote community engagement as a priority? Yes / No; Describe, quote
Yes. The support of the current and past president, provost and faculty has helped guide the Office of Community Service Learning into an unprecedented commitment to public service. In his address to thousands of parents and friends of the University at our 2006 College of Arts and Sciences graduation commencement service, our president, Stuart Dorsey stated:
Commencement quotes…
Additionally, President Dorsey has indicated in the most recent strategic planning document that one of the Universities strong core values continues to be our commitment community service, sustainability, social justice and diversity.
Perhaps the most notable form of support beyond speeches and discussions has been the financial commitment to the office of Community Service Learning made by the current and past presidents respectively. By creating and sustaining a fulltime office to support service learning, growing paid internships and work study placements at non-profit agencies through the Universities budget (these monies are not federal monies — coming directly from the University budget line.) there is a financial dedication to service outreach that puts into practice the “ethic of service” of our president.
Individually, our executive leadership practices good stewardship in our community on a daily basis. They lead by example and communicate its importance regularly. Our Chancellor, Dr. James Appleton, just secured over $54,000 from the HEDCO Foundation to build a Habitat for Humanity home in Redland. He serves as an unpaid consultant to local non-profit agencies assisting them in their fund development efforts and speaks to the importance of students and service on many occasions — including administrative meetings. Our Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life, Char Burgess, is currently the President of the Redlands Family Service Association (an organization meeting the needs of homeless and working poor families.) She is a member of no less than ten volunteer committees, boards, and agencies each year including chairing the YMCA Home Tour and the Redlands Tourism Committee. In 2005-2006 academic year she secured nearly $90,000 to support Redlands students helping to clean-up and serve in New Orleans.
Finally, it certainly worth noting the priority our University trustees place on community engagement. University trustees Tony Taylor, Bob and Marion Wiens and Ann Lucas to name a few, have endowed scholarships, internships and award gifts to the University to be awarded to students explicitly involved in community engagement.
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Does the college have a coordinating infrastructure (center, office, etc.) to support and advance community engagement? Yes / No; Describe with purposes, staffing
Yes. The fulltime of Office of Community Service Learning is entering its sixteenth year of operation. Its mission is to integrate service into the Redlands experience for all undergraduates. The staff includes the following:
Director of Community Service Learning; responsible for the overall advancement of service learning and community service within Student Life and Academic Affairs. This position builds service learning courses with faculty, manages student placements in meeting the needs of the community, advises students on successfully completing the graduation service requirement as well as serving on a multitude of non-profit boards and committees.
Associate Director of Community Service Learning; responsible for the non-profit work study programs such as America Reads Challenge, Not-for-Profit agency placements, Community Service Learning staffing, Jasper Corner Homework Club, as well as overseeing Students in Service (Americorps), and Ropes Course Leadership Development.
Graduate Assistant of Special Projects and Community Gardens; responsible for the “Gardeners in Residence Program” within the community of Redlands and the LaFourcade Community Garden, as well as the on-campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity, the Middle Buddy mentoring program and teaching a May term service learning course in leadership or service.
Graduate Assistant of Volunteer Outreach: responsible for managing the Student Volunteer Center, Supervising the Little Buddy mentoring program, overseeing three Community Service Honor House system, advising service clubs and organizations on outreach, and teaching a May term service learning course.
Administrative Assistant: responsible for supporting each professional and paraprofessional staff member in helping to meet the needs of our undergraduate population serving in off-campus non-profit agencies and schools each year.
Eight Student Directors of Outreach Programs; responsible for specific service programs such as Little Buddies, Middle Buddies, Habitat for Humanity, Jaspers Corner Homework Club, and the Student Volunteer Center. Each program strives to include other students in the process of service.
Eight Student Interns of Outreach Projects: responsible for specific project outcomes such as working with downtown Redlands businesses, community gardens, special projects such as Relay for Life, AIDS Walk L.A. etc.
Additionally, the Office of Community Service Learning employs nearly 60 to 70 students as off-campus tutors in the school district and after school agencies as mentors and assistants.
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Are there internal budgetary allocations dedicated to supporting institutional engagement with community? Yes / No; Describe (% or $ amount)
Yes. The Office of Community Service Learning is a fulltime, fully staffed office with an internal operating budget of $95,703.62 specifically designated for supporting the University of Redlands efforts to serve the surrounding community — and the Inland Empire of Southern California. (This figure does not include administrative and staff salaries.) Additionally, the Office of Community Service Learning received over $250,000.00 in endowed gifts 2005-06 from alumni and friends of the University specifically designated for service programming outreach.
Additionally, it is relevant to note that many of our academic departments have internal budget allocations supporting institutional engagement separate from the Office of Community Service Learning. These projects include our Environmental Studies Department, the School of Music, the department of Communicative Disorders, the School of Education and others. Millions of Redlands dollars are spent in community engagement programs emanating from these departments and are listed in the partnership grid on the final pages of this report.
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Is there external funding dedicated to supporting institutional engagement with community? Yes / No; Describe specific funding
Yes. The Office of Community Service Learning receives financial support for Federal work study for the America Reads program. Each year 14%, or $42,000 of our Federal dollars are spent on community service jobs.
The Will J. Reid Foundation supports efforts in community outreach which intentionally meet specific community needs such as the University Homework Club, disaster relief and mentoring programs. In 2006, with $40,000 of outside support from the Will J. Reid Foundation, the University created 130 scholarships for students and staff to travel to New Orleans to assist in the clean-up efforts.
Additionally, the Center for Environmental Studies received $40,000 for its work with the City of Redlands in developing a land use planning document and how to protect open spaces. They have also received $10,000 for their partnership with the Metropolitan Water Management District to study water conservation and efficiency.
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Is there fundraising directed to community engagement? Yes / No; Describe fundraising activities
Yes. In 2005-06 the Office of Community Service Leaning spearheaded raising
$16,100 for the local United Way campaign through a salary deduction campaign, $1,800 for the American Cancer Societies “Daffodil Days” selling flowers to help fight cancer, two teams of 15 people raised over $2000,00 for the American Cancers Relay for Life Annual Walk-a-Thon , the Los Angeles AIDS Walk raised $1000,00, the International Invisible Children program raised over $10,000 to raise awareness for children warriors forced to fight in Africa — students made and sold cloth bags and purses, held a benefit concert, and sponsored various other programs to increase campus participation. Additional fundraising efforts included our Big Buddy mentoring program raising $2000.00 for programming supplies and an off-campus fieldtrip with the little buddies. The SPURS service club sponsored (and partnered) with our Peer Theatre troupe and held a Murder Mystery Benefit Dinner performance and raises over $2,300.00 which was donated to Redlands Family Service — for local homeless, working poor and marginalized families. The Volunteer Center staff raised $300.00 hundred dollars for the “Back Pack for Kids” program — a program designed to send home weekend backpacks filled with food for children on subsidized lunch programs
The campus began fundraising for Katrina victims on the very first day freshman arrived. Through efforts launched by the CSL, the Chaplains office, and the Presidents office the University raised $4,257.00 from parents, faculty, students, and staff with monies going to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity.
Additionally, having established a strong reputation with the Will J. Reid Foundation and secured $30,000 to help finance students (students paid half of their airfare) and administrators to fly to New Orleans and serve those in need. The first trip took place in Spring and was so successful that students wanted to return again and raised (through guidance from CSL) approximately $5,000.00 more from food debit card donations, pizza parties, awareness campaigns, and direct requests to staff, faculty and administrators. Additionally Will J. Reid board family members, having read about the success of the first trip to New Orleans, pledged an additional $8,000.00 dollars to the cause. The final tally of Katrina fundraising efforts is approximately $50,000.00.
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Are there systematic campus-wide assessment or recording mechanisms to evaluate and/or track institutional engagement in the community? Yes / No; Describe
Yes, the Office of Community Service Learning (CSL) Volunteer Center tracks and monitors all student off-campus service engagement through Semester Reports. These reports reflect where students serve, the average hour served per student, the type of service performed and the total hours served by the individual or groups. Last year 85,000 hours of public service was performed by students at Redlands. The quality of the service is also monitored in that students are asked to participate in problem solving service as opposed to custodial or menial service outreach (although both are allowed and are often requested by the community.)
Additionally, the CSL Office has tracked over fifteen years of assessments and evaluations of students engaged in off-campus service. The assessments assist the CSL office in identifying agency needs, but also capture student feedback on agency compatibility. Blending and monitoring agency assessment and student assessment has been beneficial for both the University and the non-profit agencies by forming lasting and meaningful partnerships. We could not survive our own service requirement without assessment from the community.
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Are course level data used for improving courses? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. Service learning courses, first year seminar courses, cross-listed courses with a community service component and May term special topics courses (and the respective instructors) are evaluated systematically by students in each class. Feedback is used to further develop course progress. Course evaluations are compiled by the Office of Academic Affairs and faculty teaching service learning courses are encouraged to read these outcomes. (union Rescue Mission — New Orleans)
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Does the institution use the data from any of the tracking mechanisms? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. The Academic Affairs office uses course and faculty evaluations to ______________ The Office of Community Service Learning uses assessments to further designed outreach courses and programs appropriate to community needs. An example of how we use our tracking of community needs assessment can be seen in the development of our mentoring program “Big Buddies” which was a direct result of students creating a program for local children. The request came from parents and teachers in our local district. Additionally, Jasper’s Homework Club was born out of information gathered from the CSL office and agency evaluations. Parents who could not afford private tutors would contact us for assistance. The result was to create a Homework Club “Where It’s Cool To Be Smart” and free tutoring center for 75 school children each week was born.
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Is community engagement defined and planned for the strategic plans of the institution? Yes / No; Describe and quote
Yes. In the 2005-2006 University Planning Document, it is noted that one of the university strengths as mentioned in the WASC Accreditation report was, “the engagement of students in their educational experience positively influences the academic life of the institution.” This commendation is mentioned as the heart of the intuitions identity.
An even more direct statement on intentional student development is found in the planning documents introduction. It defines more clearly the importance of building character, “This means that no matter what they study our students should learn to think critically and reflectively about their own beliefs as well as those of others, to understand the social dimensions of human existence and in so doing to affirm the humanity of all persons, to understand themselves as individuals who embrace the moral dimensions of human existence, to prepare themselves to become contributing members of society who take responsibility for what goes on in the public sphere, and to develop the skills necessary to acquire new knowledge on their own throughout their lives. As we enter the fifth year with a new structure?comprising the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Education?we remain grounded in our heritage and committed to the values of our mission…”
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Does the institution provide professional development support for faculty and/or staff who engage with community? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. As members of California Campus Compact (CCC) the Community Service Learning staff attends workshops on service learning and community service bringing back to campus tools and examples of best practices for faculty and others to use. In the past three years we have attended topics on work study and creating meaningful jobs, service learning and community partnerships — building community collaborative. We regularly attend CCC annual meetings and retreats. Faculty have joined us for retreats focused on social justice issues and curriculum building.
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Does the community have a “voice” or role in institutional or departmental planning for community engagement? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. We are members of Partnerships Aimed Toward a Healthy Start (PATHS) a group consisting of non-profit agency directors, school educators and principals who discuss issues facing local youth. The PATHS agenda is to plan programs and activities for children and often invites University participation in Parent University workshops, car seat distribution and installation programs, Family Resource Center assistants, and tutorial assignments within the school district and community. Additionally, we are members of Building a Generation, a program designed to eliminate or reduce risk factors for children in our area. This program invites institutional involvement and support by placing college students as mentors and tutors at the Boys and Girls Club, the Redlands Community Center and others.
Faculty led service learning courses are perhaps the most notable result of community voice. Several classes and First Year Seminars specifically meet community requests (and needs) by infusing service into the curriculum. Some examples of listening to our community’s voice are classes such as “Mother Goose, Dr. Seuss and Do Ra Me” — a course studying children’s literature that requires each student to tutor children at Mustard Seed Tutorial Center. Another example is “Philosophy of Medicine — the Normal and Pathological” where pre-med students study health in America and serve at a children’s critical care facility for the semester as bedside buddies. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) a course in which accounting majors learn to prepare taxes and provide a free service of tax preparation is also an example of hearing our community’s voice and serving that need.
The Center for Environmental Studies actively seeks community voice for a variety of projects including the Emerald Necklace Project, aimed at creating a green open space around the city proper. This department has also worked closely with community members near the Salton Sea area in Coachella, California for project work related to the clean-up of the Salton Sea. Other projects using (and indeed requiring) community voice is the desert Tortoise project, and the Metropolitan Water Districts project, Belau Cares , and work on sustainable communities.
The Multicultural Center has planned service projects and courses by working with various community voices such as the Bacone and Quechan Tribes on the Colorado River Project. Other voices commonly heard are those from the Hispanic and African American Communities.
More examples of communities voice can be seen in the partnership grid at the end of this report.
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Optional Documentation
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Does the institution have search/recruitment policies that encourage the hiring of faculty with expertise in and commitment to community engagement? Yes / No; Describe
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Do students have a “voice” or leadership role in community engagement? Yes / No; Examples
Yes. Each undergraduate at the University is required to fulfill a community service activity which may be met through a service learning course, a community service activity placement, a public service job or a fourth unit option. Students chose which service venue is most appropriate to take and they are given four years in which to complete the requirement. The most popular service selection is a 3 unit 80 hours activity at a non-profit agency or school. Students may elect to enroll during semesters, May term or even summer — allowing them to serve in their own hometown community. Each student completes a narrative contract listing their intended learning outcomes and a statement of the agencies mission. In short, it is the student who makes the decision on who, when, and where to serve given the needs of the agency or school. The narrative contract is sent to respective agency directors or teachers so that learning objectives can be met reciprolly.
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Do the institutional policies for promotion and tenure reward the scholarship of community engagement? Yes / No; Describe
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If yes, how does the institution categorize community engagement scholarship? (Service, Scholarship of Application, other)
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If no, is there work in progress to revise the promotion and tenure guidelines to reward the scholarship of community engagement.
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Is community engagement noted on student transcripts? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. A Community Service Activity (CSAC) must appear on the student transcript prior to graduation. This notates that the student has enrolled in a cross-listed service learning course or CSAC activity. Students may earn up to 3 activity units towards graduation by filling a CSAC placement. However, students may not want or desire units or may elect to fulfill a public service for 0 units which is also transcripted.
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Categories of Community Engagement
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Curricular Engagement
(Curricular Engagement describes the teaching, learning and scholarship which engages faculty, students, and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. Their interactions address community identified needs, deepen students’ civic and academic learning, enhance community well-being, and enrich the scholarship of the institution).
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Does the institution have a definition and a process for identifying service learning (community based learning) courses? Yes / No; Describe
Each service learning course or special topics course must go though curriculum committee and the office of community service learning for support and approval. Faculty complete a course description with learning outcomes and go before the curriculum committee well in advance for the course offering. Cross listed courses must meet a minimum of 20 to 40 hours of public service for each individual taking the class. The office of community service learning provides the registrar with a course addendum or cross listing request.
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How many formal for credit courses (Service Learning, Community Based Learning, etc.) were offered in the most recent academic year? What percentage of total courses?
25 (credit) 6 (0 unit)
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How many departments were represented by those courses?
14
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How many faculty taught service learning or community based learning courses in the most recent academic year?
12
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What percentage of total faculty?
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How many students participated in service learning or community based learning courses in the most recent academic year?
589
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What percent of total number of students?
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Are there institutional or departmental (disciplinary) learning outcomes for students’ curricular engagement? Yes / No; Explanation
Yes.
Students are expected to journal and write a final reflective paper for their service experiences. Some of the points they are asked to think and write about are: reflecting on their service activity and how they achieved a better understanding of what they’ve accomplished; changes they made in their life due to the service that was performed; within the organization in which they served what they would do differently or what they would keep the same and why their service was a necessary form of outreach.
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Are those outcomes systematically assessed? Yes / No; Describe
Yes.
Students complete a final paper and journal and they also complete an evaluation of their community service experience
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Is community engagement integrated into the following curricular activities? Yes / No; Describe with examples
- Yes:Student Research: example: Environmental Studies students will do summer research projects. One example of the research projects: Special and Temporal Time Analysis of the Juvenile Desert Tortoise by the Common Raven: which is analyzing where Tortoise populations are being preyed upon and the reasons why it is occurring. This information is shared with Raven management Team.
- Yes:Student Leadership: Ropes Course leadership is a may-term class that teaches college students how to facilitate a low ropes course and develop leadership skills through facilitating structured group experiences for others.
- Yes:Internships: CSAC (Community Service Activity Course) will allow students to do service at an organization or agency of their choice. Within this placement they will participate in service and learn new skills and obtain a new set of responsibilities.
- No:Studies Abroad
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Has community engagement been integrated with curriculum on an institution-wide level? Yes No; If yes, indicate where the integration exists. Describe with examples
- Yes: Core Courses
- Graduate Studies
- First Year Sequence
- Capstone
- In the Majors
It is a general requirement for all undergraduates. Students will fulfill their service requirement through courses taught by faculty, a Special topics, or a Community Service Activity Course. Some of these course will be in core courses, first year seminar, in their majors, or capstones. Students can cross list any class that will be applicable to the service they are doing.
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Are there examples of faculty scholarship associated with their curricular engagement achievements (Action Research Studies, Conference Presentations, Pedagogy Workshops, Journal Publications, etc?) Yes / No; Examples
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Outreach and Partnerships Examples
(Outreach and Partnerships describe two different but related approaches to community engagement. The first focuses on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use with benefits to both campus and community. The latter focuses on collaborative interactions with community and related scholarship for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration, and application of knowledge, information, and resources (research, capacity building, economic development, etc.).
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Indicate which programs are developed for the community:
- Learning Centers
- Tutoring
- Extension programs
- Non-credit courses
- Evaluation support
- Training programs
- Professional development centers
- Other
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Which institutional resources are shared with the community?
Co-curricular student service: Students who are awarded a work-award through financial aid may receive employment through the University. Last year over 75 work-study students (full-pay) by the University worked at off-campus sites such as: Boys & Girls Club, Redlands Day Nursery, local Libraries, Redlands Unified School District, Redlands Community Center and group homes as tutors and mentors. The University is pleased to have a partnership that allows students to gain a work experience with organizations such as these.
Cultural offerings: Once a year the University host a Multicultural Festival. This is an annual event that many people within the University and general community attend. The event is sponsored by the Multicultural Center and Diversity Affairs and brings a number of artists, performers and vendors to campus for a one day Festival. Also, the School of Music has four to six free music performances a year. Any community members are welcome to attend. The performances are wind-ensembles, orchestras and symphonies.
Athletic offerings Athletic programs at the University are well attended. Community members are welcomed at any home games for a nominal fee or free. Community members often come to watch football, basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis and track just to name a few. During the summer coaches often host camps for kids in their area of specialty. The public is welcomed to use the University pool, tennis court, outside basketball court and track.
Library services Library is free and open to the public, but non students do not have check out privileges.
Technology: The Master of Science in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their existing academic foundations with comprehensive understanding of Geographic Information (GI) Science fundamentals and the use and application of GI technologies. The program combines the development of strong technical skills and in-depth education in GI Science theory with hands-on experience on real-world projects through the Redlands Institute, the University’s largest research unit. All students are required to create an individual project applying GI technology and to present their projects in a formal presentation. In the past students have created a mapping system of trees in Redlands.
Faculty consultation
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Using the grid below, describe representative partnerships (both institutional and departmental that were in place during the most recent academic year. (maximum 20 partnerships)
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Does the institution or do the departments work to promote the mutuality and reciprocity of the partnerships? Yes / No; Describe
Yes. Both the institution and the departments work to promote mutuality. The University is eager for partnerships to be able meet on campus and utilize faculty expertise and often waives costs associated with conferences and gatherings in order to bring the community to the campus. An example of this is the Office of Community Service Learning hosting the Inland Empire Non-profit Conference 300 to 500 participants. The University shoulders much of the cost associated with the event — yet, gains valuable partners in the process.
Academic departments work with the Academic Affairs office to promote scholarly engagement but are given autonomy and support for their collaborations with community. An example of this would be the Liberal Studies program “100 years 100 Books” an outreach to support a local elementary schools building of a new library where books were collected and students and faculty read to children at the school. The concept and outreach were supported and developed by the department in partnership with Victoria Elementary School. Additionally, many of our environmental research projects are grown out of community partnerships — autonomous in their own right, but indirectly support by the institution. An example would be students in Environmental Studies working in partnership with a local organic farmer who grows food for a local organic restraint in Redlands.
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Are there mechanisms to systematically provide feedback and assessment to community partners? Yes / No; Describe
Our Community Serve Activity (CSAC) placements — which number in the hundreds locally, require agencies be evaluated by the student participants with questions addressing agency mission, leadership, successful goals, supervision, problem areas and so forth. These evaluations are used in on-going dialogue with partners off campus. The evaluations identify agencies whose strengths meet community expectations but also meet criteria for being a quality partner in which the University can place students in service.
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Are there examples of faculty scholarship associated with their outreach and partnership activities (Technical Reports, Curriculum, Research Reports, Policy Developments, Journal Publications, etc?) Yes / No; Examples
Yes. Perhaps one of the more pertinent developments on campus is the School of Educations Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice. The fist cohort began in summer 2006. Going beyond journals and outreach, the School of Educations faculty actually embraced the need for social justice issues and recognized the need to educate educators on social justice issues. This program embraces fairness, equity, care and respect for all people and works to instruct future school superintendent and principals on these critical issues. A leading member of the doctoral program Dr. Jose Lalas recently co-authored a book, “Omni-Education: Teaching and Learning Frameworks for Social Justice in Urban Classrooms”
Thomas Leuteritz, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies authored a cover story, “Tortoises on March Modeling and GIS Help Relocate a Threatened Species,” in GeoWorld.
Aditya Agawai research analysis for the Redlands Institute, was a participant invited to the Union of Concerned Scientists second annual Climate Science Education Day based on his expertise and research in the field of Environmental Studies.
Associate Professor Tim Kranz was featured in an Emmy Award winning documentary film, Voices of the Monument,” about Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument — the nations newest addition to the National Monument system.
Professor Ivonne Gordon-Vailakis was invited to read her poetic work at the Teatro de la Luna Poetry Marathon in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress based on her promotion of Hispanic culture and fostering of cross-cultural understanding between Spanish and English-speaking communities.
Chancellor James Appleton visited Pakistan and advised administrative leaders of Forman Christian University on accreditation and fund development and baccalaureate degree development
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About the Community Engagement Classification.
View successful applications from Campus Compact member institutions.
Visit The Carnegie Foundation’s web site for application information.
The support, information, resources, and enthusiasm shared have been invaluable in getting us started.
-Mineral Area College