University of Bridgeport President Neil Albert Salonen signed the Campus Compact Thirtieth Anniversary Action Statement of Presidents and Chancellors in November 2015. Campus Compact represents a commitment to reinvigorate the public and democratic purposes of higher education in relation to teaching, service, research, and institutional decision making. As a core component of this statement, President Salonen committed to creating a campus Civic Action Plan, the purpose of which would be to deepen civic and community engagement and enhance the public purposes of University of Bridgeport.
The Civic Action Plan committee was formed in order to develop a Civic Action Plan for University of Bridgeport in alignment with our campus mission and strategic plan. The purpose of the Civic Action Plan is to forward UB’s role as an urban-engaged campus in the city of Bridgeport and expand our civic and community engagement efforts in ways that advance citizenship and positive social change. Reflecting these commitments, the Civic Action Plan committee held a series of meetings and conducted research in fall 2016 in order to establish an institutional baseline of existing civic and community engagement efforts at University of Bridgeport and make recommendations for developing the Civic Action Plan, a roadmap for future civic and community engagement efforts. The Civic Action Plan is a five-year plan and should be seen as a living document that will grow and develop with implementation.