Campus Compact today announced that Lena Jones, Professor of Political Science at Minneapolis Community & Technical College, will serve as one of Campus Compact’s Community Colleges Network Fellows for the 2022-2023 academic year.
As a Community Colleges Network Fellow, Lena will focus on research, identifying and recommending new approaches for deepening and advancing civic and community engagement priorities. In this capacity, she will focus specifically on grassroots approaches and effective strategies for maximizing impact in resource-constrained environments. Her work will result in a series of resources and tool kits that will be made available to Campus Compact members to help them build capacity for civic and community engagement on their campuses. Additionally, Lena will lead the design of a capacity-building institute to be held in the summer of 2023.
“I am excited to be part of Campus Compact’s efforts to hold up the vital role of community colleges in U.S. higher education and to create spaces for us to build relationships and support one another during a time when the need for our work is urgent and the resources to do it can be difficult to access,” said Lena. “My hope is that the research I will conduct as a Campus Compact fellow will provide practical tools for civic engagement practitioners at community colleges to do sustainable and meaningful work with students, community partners, and colleagues.”
“Lena is an expert in the field whose research will prove invaluable to our members,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “We are thankful and so excited to work with her to move forward community college priorities and specifically to support under-resourced institutions advance their civic engagement missions.”
Lena will be one of the inaugural cohort of Campus Compact fellows, a group of experienced practitioners and field leaders who will advance Campus Compact’s work in key areas.