According to Bowen, Berrien, & Bennett (2024), strategies related to community engagement have been incorporating DEI efforts into civic and community engagement. In some cases, structural changes to Offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have been integrated into the work of Offices of Civic and Community Engagement. This has a direct impact on our work in civic and community engagement. Campus Compact is gathering information about the intercultural development practices in community/civic engagement centers.
We are taking a comprehensive approach to supporting our member institutions and continuing the community and civic engagement movement throughout higher education to enable a just, equitable, and sustainable future. We know that people come to participate in community and civic engagement from different perspectives and areas of their campuses. Campus Compact staff and I have identified states where such legislation has either passed or is pending and reviewed some of the legislation affecting the work of CEPs and DEI offices and staff. In addition, we had several conversations at recent conferences with student life and DEI professionals and educators.
Working closely with Dr. Nicole Springer, Campus Compact’s Senior Director of Professional Development & Scholarship and Chief Equity Officer, I am gathering information through conversations with community engagement practitioners/professionals (CEPs) in higher education to inform a new curriculum to support you and your work. Specifically, I want to have conversations focused on resources and tactics used to prepare students, faculty, staff, and community partners for community and civic engagement.
Campus Compact is committed to making sure this process is as inclusive as possible, which is why we're asking you—as our members and practitioners in the field and work of civic and community engagement—to share your thoughts about how this work continues in the current climate.
- How do you prepare people (faculty, staff, students, community partners) for community engagement?
- Have legislative and/or other policy changes affected your work/approach to community engagement?
- What knowledge do you want people to have when participating in community engagement?
- What, if any, concerns do you have when facilitating community engagement?
- Imagine that your work in community/civic engagement is fully supported:
- What resources do you have around you?
- What people are you connected to?
- What training do you have accessible to you?
In two weeks at Compact 2024 in Denver, I’ll seek input from campus representatives about your work and possible resources. To that end, please consider the following to contribute either ahead of or after the conference:
If you’re willing to contribute to this process, there are three ways to do so:
- Let’s have a conversation: Sign up to join a conversation group
- Write your thoughts: Respond to this form, which is open through May 4, 2024.
- Talk to me at our annual meeting: I am leading a roundtable at the Compact 24 conference in Denver this April called “Cultural Competency Training: Continuing the conversation” on Tuesday, April 9 at 11:30 am.
Dr. Lissa Schwander
Associate Professor/Field Director, Social Work
Central Michigan University
Campus Compact Intercultural Development Fellow 2023-24