Engaged Scholars Initiative

• Liberatory Praxis - the act, ability, or application from theory to practice of self-determination, self-actualization, and agency that challenge deficits narratives ascribed to non-dominant populations. This invites and validates different ways of knowing, reduces barriers to participation, and kindles compassion, healing, and respect for self and others which fosters their and our own liberation to challenge deficits narratives ascribed to non-dominant populations.

• Epistemic Justice: Commitment to diverse epistemologies by expanding the perspectives and types and sources of knowledge incorporated and highlighted across the field.

• Full Participation: An affirmative value focused on creating institutions that enable people, whatever their identity, background, or institutional position, to thrive, realize their capabilities, engage meaningfully in institutional life, and contribute to the flourishing of others.

• Community Building: Providing a space for organic relationships to form and creating opportunities for mentorship.

• Engaged Scholarship: The generation of new knowledge by combining academic knowledge and community-based knowledge, eliminating a hierarchy of knowledge and a one-way flow of knowledge outward from the college or university.

Applications for ESI open early in the calendar year and close in the spring. The best way to keep informed about ESI application cycles is to subscribe to our newsletter.

Applicants are selected for the program based on their eligibility (must be early career faculty or staff from a Campus Compact member institution), their interest in applying the foundational scholarship of community engagement to their work through the completion of a scholarly project, and their ability to participate in all program components. Additionally, we seek to create a cohort that is diverse demographically, geographically, and by institution type.

Application questions:

• Applicant information:
  • Name
  • Institution
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Main institutional role (select one)
  • Institution type
  • State
  • # of years doing higher education community engagement/service-learning work
  • Would you require a scholarship to participate?
  • Demographic information
• Letter of interest (not to exceed three pages) addressing
  • (1) commitment to and experience with community-engaged scholarship or the work of a community engagement professional
  • (2) the critical issues you are most concerned about in the field
  • (3) the significance of race, diversity, and equity in your personal or professional life
  • (4) the identities and strengths you would contribute to this cohort
  • (5) the scholarly project you wish to pursue
• Curriculum vitae or resume (not to exceed eight pages)
• Letter of support from your institution's president, chancellor, chief academic officer, and/or chief student affairs officer (not to exceed two pages) that expresses:
  • (1) support for the applicant's participation
  • (2) a description of institutional support for engaged scholarship and foreseen institutional benefits to the nominee's participation, and
  • (3) a commitment to supporting the time needed for the applicant to participate in the program and covering the nominee's program fee.
• Applicant's bio
• Applicant's headshot

The program meets virtually once a month in the summer and twice a month during the academic year. These virtual meetings are designed to provide content and connection. The cohort will meet in person at retreats in August and May. 

• Orientation - Jun

• Cohort Introductions - July

• In-Person Opening Retreat - August

• Virtual Meetings begin - September

• In-Person Final Retreat - May

Scholars are expected to:

1. Commit to attending and actively participating in programming, including two three-day, in-person retreats, 90-minute bi-weekly virtual meetings, and any individual or small group collaborative or mentoring meetings.
2. Complete all required preparation (e.g., pre-readings, assessment, assigned tasks, etc.) and resulting action items.
3. Actively communicate with program directors and fellow cohort scholars throughout the experience.
4. Pursue a scholarly project (individual or collaborative) of their choosing.
5. Submit all program reports by the due dates.

Throughout its history, Campus Compact has involved select faculty and other leaders in a variety of projects and activities intended to enhance and expand civic and community engagement at higher education institutions. Engaged Scholar appointments were made based on specific needs that Campus Compact identified, with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Carnegie Corporation.

In 2008-2009, we experimented with a different approach to the Engaged Scholars initiative. Ten outstanding leaders joined us as Engaged Scholars for New Perspectives in Higher Education:

• Elizabeth Carmichael Burton, Associate Director, Office of Citizenship and Service-Learning, Missouri State University;
• David Donahue, Associate Professor of Education, Mills College;
• Mari­a Mercedes Franco, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Associate Director, QCC ExCEL Service-Learning Initiative, Queensborough Community College;
• Melissa Kesler Gilbert, Director, Center for Community Engagement, Otterbein College;
• Patrick Green, Director of Experiential Learning, Loyola University Chicago;
• Mathew Johnson, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Director, Presidential VISTA Fellows Program, Siena College;
• Micki Meyer, Director of Community Engagement, Rollins College;
• Tania Mitchell, Service Learning Director, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and Lecturer, School of Education and CCSRE, Stanford University;
• Margaret Post, Director, Donelan Office of Community Based Learning, College of Holy Cross; and
• Rowena Tomaneng, Professor of English and Women’s Studies, Lecturer in Ethnic Studies, and Director, Institute of Community and Civic Engagement, DeAnza (Community) College.

These Engaged Scholars functioned as an intentional learning community in an earlier precursor to the current Engaged Scholars Initiative. Campus Compact chose each scholar specifically for their ability to bring diverse communities, identities, and perspectives to bear on their work; their academic and administrative leadership of engagement efforts at a variety of types of higher education institutions across the country; and their commitment to sharing the results of their collaborative action and analysis and to expanding the dialogue to engage other colleagues, community partners, and students.