Community and Economic Engagement • A Recipe for Reciprocity
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Highlights from the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching Reclassification Application – 2015
Economic Engagement
Health & Wellness Environment Cultural Arts
Education
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Table of Contents
OVERVIEW....................................................................................................4
SECTION I. FOUNDATIONAL INDICATORS.................................................5
SECTION II. CATEGORIES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.................. 11
SECTION III. WRAP-UP...............................................................................15
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OVERVIEW
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching defines engagement as
“the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities
(local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge
and resources in the context of a partnership.”
In April 2014, the University of North Carolina Wilmington submitted its application to the
Carnegie Foundation to be reclassified as a “Community Engaged” university after its
initial designation in 2008 was going to expire. This document is a summary of the extensive
application completed by a team of faculty and staff that included highlights of the university’s
commitment to community and economic engagement activities including academic
support, foundational support, service and partnerships, fundraising, strategic planning,
communications and assessments.
UNCW absolutely believes in the value of community and economic engagement. UNCW’s
mission focuses on the integration of teaching and research with scholarly engagement and
service. It reflects our commitment, as a university, to demonstrating our love of place through
innovative community partnerships. We are dedicated to enriching our students’ journey of
learning through a culture of civic engagement that supports our region’s economic growth
and vitality. UNCW students, faculty and staff are very committed to using the power of
ideas and innovation to change lives. We know that communities thrive when the business,
education and government sectors collaborate effectively.
We are proud of UNCW’s achievements in engagement, especially as it relates to both
community and economic development. For example, in September 2011, we created a
senior leadership position specifically designated to cultivating, maintaining and promoting
regional, national and global corporate and community partnerships with UNCW. We
developed our quarterly Business Leaders’ Summit in April 2012 as a way for CEOs and
community leaders to gather to discuss current issues and challenges in order to find
solutions. In December 2012, we established our Campus Outreach Council of faculty,
students and staff committed to economic and community engagement initiatives. We
opened our UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in September 2013, and
we reinvented our Economic Transformation Council in 2014 to better focus on economic
innovation and the needs of the region.
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SECTION I. FOUNDATIONAL INDICATORS
A. CHANCELLOR’S LEADERSHIP STATEMENT
The following letter and much of the information contained within this summary document
were prepared under the leadership of Gary L. Miller, chancellor of the University of North
Carolina Wilmington, July 2011-July 2014.
April 14, 2014
Re: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Elective Community
Engagement Reclassification
We at the University North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) would like to formally take the
opportunity to participate in the application for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement
of Teaching Elective Community Engagement Re-Classification. We have prepared and
assessed our contributions to community engagement and have highlighted our successes
and accomplishments, while exploring different strategies to improve our community
engagement initiatives.
UNCW absolutely believes in the value of community engagement. UNCW’s mission focuses
on the integration of teaching and research with scholarly engagement and service. It reflects
our commitment, as a university, to demonstrating our love of place through innovative
community partnerships. We are dedicated to enriching our students’ journey of learning
through a culture of civic engagement that supports our region’s economic growth and vitality.
UNCW students, faculty and staff are very committed to using the power of ideas and
innovation to change lives. We know that communities thrive when the business, education
and government sectors collaborate effectively.
We are proud of UNCW’s achievements in community engagement, especially as it relates
to both community and economic development. For example, we created a senior leadership
position specifically designated to cultivating, maintaining and promoting regional, national
and global corporate and community partnerships with UNCW in September 2011. We
developed our quarterly Business Leaders’ Summit in April 2012 as a way for CEOs and
community leaders to gather to discuss current issues and challenges in order to find
solutions. In December 2012, we established our Campus Outreach Council of faculty,
students and staff committed to economic and community engagement initiatives. We
opened our UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in September 2013, and
we’re reinventing our Economic Transformation Council in 2014 to better focus on economic
innovation and the needs of the community.
Jenni Harris, assistant to the chancellor for community partnerships, serves as our institution’s primary point of contact and senior campus leader for our community and economic
engagement strategies.
Thank you for providing UNCW this opportunity to be recognized for innovation and community development programs, initiatives, and efforts. We look forward to continuing to share
ideas and learn from one another over the coming years.
Sincerely,
Gary L. Miller
Chancellor
University of North Carolina Wilmington
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CHANCELLOR’S STATEMENTS OF AFFIRMATION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Public statements from the chancellor that reaffirm UNCW’s commitment to community engagement are witnessed through various annual addresses/speeches, published editorials,
campus publications and videos are included below.
Under the leadership of the chancellor, UNCW actively incorporates community engagement
into its mission. During his first year on campus, Chancellor Miller broadly defined the university’s commitment to three core values – the journey of learning, the love of place and dedication to the power of ideas and innovation to change lives. “We want tomorrow’s leaders to
embrace change, to dynamically drive their own futures while improving ours and to actively
involve themselves in communities across our nation and around the world.”
“Our students, faculty and staff are not necessarily thinking about the economic impact of
their efforts when they volunteer in a local school, build a house for a family in need, start a
community garden, serve on a nonprofit organization’s board or participate in activities that
address regional concerns,” Chancellor Miller said. “They are focused on making a difference
in our community, our state and our world. I believe it is important to underscore the value of
their efforts to measurably demonstrate UNCW’s commitment to our love of place.”
The love of place encapsulates the chancellors’ firm belief that universities must incorporate
civic responsibility into academic, research and development, student leadership and economic endeavors. “To be a national and global leader in demonstrating how universities can
serve their regions, we must come to understand and embrace the importance of our coastal
location as a powerful metaphor for many of the most significant questions of commerce,
human health, nutrition, the environment and social and cultural dynamics,” he said during his
April 2012 installation.
As a featured speaker at the university’s commencement exercises in May and December,
the chancellor emphasizes community engagement in his remarks to graduates and their
families. At the ceremony in December 2013, he said, “As North Carolina’s coastal university,
UNCW is dedicated to making a difference in Wilmington, this state and our nation, as well as
in communities worldwide through innovative academic programs, cutting-edge research and
diverse community partnerships.”
B. INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY AND CULTURE
The University of North Carolina Wilmington maintains a strategic plan based on its mission
statement that includes a strategic vision, an identity statement, core values, and supporting
goals and objectives. Together, these convey the comprehensive purpose and identity of the
institution, which are appropriate for a Carnegie public four-year, primarily residential master’s
(larger programs) and a Southern Regional Education Board Four-Year 3 university, though
one with a substantial level of funded research activity. The mission statement emphasizes
the core responsibilities of the institution: teaching, mentoring, research and service. The university’s strategic GOAL V – strengthen the university’s regional engagement and outreach
activities – is facilitated by eight explicit objectives addressed by a variety of programs.
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Partner with the public and private sectors to foster economic development throughout the region. (Swain Center for Business and Economic Services, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
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Provide service to and collaborate with our P-16 educational partners in public
schools, community colleges and other universities. (Center for Education in Science,
Mathematics and Technology)
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Connect theory and practice through service learning programs that enrich academic
coursework and serve the region. (For-credit internships, practicum and clinical
training courses assessed within their respective academic programs)
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Apply the intellectual and human capital of the university and its region to address
critical quality of life concerns, including health and the environment. (Cape Fear
Obesity Prevention, Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations)
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Provide campus-initiated experiences that encourage participation in and access
to higher education. (Centro Hispano, Upperman African American Cultural Center,
Youth Programs)
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Engage our region in a life of learning for intellectual reward, personal pleasure or
career opportunity through high-quality continuing studies programs and cultural
opportunities. (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Office of Professional and Organizational Development, Centro Hispano, Upperman African American Cultural Center)
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Strengthen the alumni and parent programs (Alumni Relations and University College, discussed with administrative support and academic and student support)
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Enhance the university’s ability to perform larger scale multi-disciplinary applied
research programs that focus on issues important to southeastern North Carolina.
(Office of Research Services and Center for Marine Science, discussed within the
research standard 3.3.1.4). Currently, UNCW’s Mission Statement and Strategic Plan
have been revised and are awaiting approval from the UNC Board of Governors.
C. INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Office of Community Partnerships is taking the lead in facilitating the coordination of
university-wide collaborative and reciprocal engagement efforts at UNCW. Staff consists of
two full-time senior leadership positions. We consider the university’s assets to be the many
offices, departments, divisions and committees that can point to their role in engagements
efforts, as seen in annual reports and the information contained in the 2013 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools report.
The Campus Outreach Council, UNCW’s Economic Transformation Committee and the
Faculty Senate Engagement and Outreach Committee serve as campus-wide coordinating
groups that support and advance community and economic engagement. There are student
appointees to the Campus Outreach Council, and a university-wide student engagement
committee is recommended.
Additional assets include groups of external partners such as the UNCW Board of Visitors,
executive advisory boards of UNCW colleges and external-facing entities such as Quality
Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO), the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, MARBIONC, Swain Center and the Center for Marine Science.
Changes within the Division of Student Affairs resulted in the Office of Student Leadership
and Engagement being retitled in 2013 from the Center for Leadership Education and
Service. As part of this change, the office was physically moved into a space in the Campus
Activities and Involvement Center (CAIC) to more centrally locate it within the functional
areas of leadership and involvement. Organizationally, the department still reports to the
Dean of Students.
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FUNDING
There is currently no ongoing financial support for necessary infrastructure, office and staff
for Community Partnerships. Operating out of the Chancellor’s Unit with his state and
discretionary funds, finding and maintaining financial support for these efforts will be a priority
moving forward. While programs previously under the Division of Public Service retained
their budgets after being moved into academic units for better alignment with academic
goals, additional funding for university-community partnerships is done on a divisional
and departmental level with some opportunities for broader, more collaborative and
interdisciplinary work to be funded by grants.
This area still needs great attention, and we will examine, with the Division of Business
Affairs, allocations for engagement. In addition, we will work with the Division for University
Advancement on the creation of strategies that will allow for sustainable funding opportunities
in order to supplement current budgets and provide seed money for signature partnerships as
well as growth of the office to support and advance these initiatives.
DOCUMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT
There are a number of systematic methods for campus-wide tracking and documentation of
engagement, which are currently under consultation by Business Affairs and Academic Affairs
for efficiency and effectiveness. Current data collection methods are done manually, which
has provided data that can now be used for short- and long-term planning and decisions to
ensure community-based learning is integrated across the curriculum and linked to learning
goals and the student experience.
Assessment tools are currently being created to measure the awareness, economic and
value impact of the university’s community and economic engagement, and its impact on
students, faculty, staff and the institution as a whole as well as the community. It will be a
priority to consider policies and procedures that ensure quality interactions with regional
partners and deliver flexible curricula that provide relevant educational opportunities for
students and faculty.
Within Student Affairs, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement collects information
related to student community service hours, philanthropy and some service learning activities.
The website for reporting these initiatives is currently being re-developed to better capture the
data so that duplication of reporting is avoided.
IMPACT ON STUDENTS
Within Student Affairs, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) conducts
regular assessment of community service activities through a variety of instruments. In spring
of 2011, a broad survey was sent out to service learning participants, and 72 percent of the
respondents indicated that they strongly agreed that their work “benefited the community.”
In a fall 2013 Student Leadership and Engagement Survey, 70.5 percent of the respondents
indicated that they participated in initiatives from OSLE because of an “enhanced desire to
engage in your community.”
IMPACT ON FACULTY
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Within our ETEAL Quality Enhancement Plan, faculty teaching ETEAL applied learning
courses are asked to reflect on their experience. The pilot findings from 2012 to 2013 show
that faculty learned as much as the students from these experiences. They determined
specific pedagogical practices that were useful in guiding students to reflect critically. In
particular, when students had multiple opportunities to reflect, their responses were more
in-depth and they showed increased understanding. Instructors also learned how important
preparation and planning are to quality applied experiences. For example, they learned how
important it is to involve the community partner very early on, long before the experience is to
start, so that the community partner’s needs are met from the experience.
IMPACT ON COMMUNITY
In several departments and areas at UNCW, the campus and the community meet regularly
to discuss issues, priorities and related assets; however, UNCW strives to achieve an
increased amount of coordination between the campus and the community to leverage
university assets to support and enhance these regional activities and to enhance the impact
of the students’ educational experience. Individual departments and areas on campus may
have a process that involves community members in assessing and identifying local and
regional needs that the campus can address; however, there is always a need for more
coordination amongst on-campus offices/departments in regards to local areas and regions
that extend past the tri-county lines (Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender Counties). The
Campus Outreach Council was created in December 2012 to encourage communication
across disciplines regarding engagement activities. This has resulted in many new, larger
and more impactful initiatives.
Currently, our community members are not involved in defining, conducting and evaluating
community-based research, teaching and engagement. There are, however, many offices/
departments on campus that provide community-based research and conduct tests and
evaluations to assess the impact of the individual partnership. A cooperative campus effort
to increase community involvement is underway, and this will strengthen the university’s
community influence and involvement, offer feedback of effective reciprocity and mutual
benefit, promote linkages and lower barriers between faculty, governments, organizations
and industry. Meetings and events coordinated at UNCW, such as the Business Leader’s
Summits, NC Campus Compact conferences and Economic Outlook Conferences, promote
the campus’ visible and effective role in facilitating dialogue around important public issues.
The OCP is collaborating with individual offices/departments on campus to increase the
assessment of current partnerships, and a first attempt will be made this spring semester.
IMPACT ON INSTITUTION
In its analysis of the initial engagement inventory conducted by the Office of Community
Partnerships with data collected from Information Technology Systems, Student Affairs,
Academic Affairs (enrollment), colleges and academic units, the importance of a comprehensive engagement database that captured all of the academic and student efforts became
extremely apparent as well as a university-wide strategy for engagement. Data showed that,
in many cases, several academic departments were collaborating with the same community
partner, sometimes providing the same or similar services, without knowledge of the presence of the other units’ involvement. Duplication of efforts and resources were able to be
redirected to a cross-disciplinary collaboration for greater impact. This also provided
examples for opportunity maps to show future engagement potential.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The UNCW Career Center staff, and especially the assistant director for employer development, interacts daily with area organizations to help them gain a better understanding of how
they can provide engagement opportunities for our students and how that can benefit their
own operations as well as the learning outcomes of the student participants. The majority of
these involvements are internship experiences.
UNCW also provides employer and faculty development outreach in a group setting through a
number of events. These include the bi-annual meetings of our Employer Advisory Board, the
QENO Nonprofit Lunch and Learn Series, our early fall Applied Learning Forum for Faculty
and our late-fall Internship Summit for area employers.
Within Student Affairs, the Office for Student Leadership and Engagement offers resources
to faculty and staff regarding service projects and opportunities. Further, the staff members
connect community agencies to students who seek service opportunities.
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FACULTY ROLES AND REWARDS
While university-wide search and recruitment policies address guidelines and procedures for
departments to develop position descriptions, establish search committees and publish advertisements, individual departments specify search expectations with respect to community
engagement. The university’s strategic plan, efforts to acknowledge regional engagement in
reappointment, tenure and promotion policies, and institutional alignment with UNC General
Administration strategic planning lay the foundation for encouraging departments to enhance
faculty activity in community engagement.
Following are advertisement excerpts from recent searches:
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From an ad for a tenure-track assistant professor of communication studies: “In
alignment with this university’s strategic goals, we have interest in a candidate
positioned to generate interdisciplinary scholarship in health communication, as
well as alliances with on-campus, local and regional private- and public-sector
organizations.”
• From an ad for a project coordinator in the Watson College of Education: “The
University of North Carolina Wilmington invites applications for the position of
project coordinator for the Watson College of Education’s Educating Learning
Minority Students grant. The ELMS project is funded by the federal Department
of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition and is a professional
development grant focused on preparing mainstream teachers to work with
English language learners in the state of North Carolina.”
• From the ad for a lecturer in applied gerontology: “The program has an outstanding
legacy of service and is dedicated to enriching the health and quality of life of
people living in southeastern NC. This is an exciting time in the development of the
Gerontology Program, as we seek to evaluate and posture this academic program
to continue to serve our students and community in the years to come.”
STUDENT ROLES AND RECOGNITION
Beginning fall 2013, the Career Center began offering students the opportunity to participate
in an enhanced non-credit internship experience, the Certified Internship Program (CIP).
Through the development of a learning contract, a number of guided reflection activities,
professional development workshops and a final presentation, students enriched their
internship activities with deeper intentional learning and increased their ability to articulate
their learning to others. This new program was selected as an ETEAL-Supported Initiative
and approved by the Faculty Senate as an Explorations Beyond the Classroom experience
as part of our new University Studies Core Curriculum with transcript notation for each
student participant.
Within Student Affairs, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement employs student
engagement guides to implement, plan and lead community service projects. The office
also coordinates the annual Cornerstone Awards recognition program, which is designed to
reward and recognize outstanding students who participate in a variety of student leadership
and community engagement activities. The Rachel Freeman Service Leadership (one senior
who displays a passion for service), the Distinguished Engagement Award (approximately
40-50 students annually, juniors or seniors who display “exemplary and consistent service
to others”), the Excellence in Engagement Award (approximately 50 sophomores, juniors or
transfers who display “service to others”) and the Margaret Walthour Lippitt Scholarship (firstyear student who is “engaged in service to the campus or community”) are the most salient
examples of awards given to students. Additional awards include the Fraternity and Sorority
Life Awards and various departmental student awards.
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DIVERSITY
The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (which includes the Upperman African
American Cultural Center, Centro Hispano, Women Studies Resource Center and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Allies Center) collaborates with
many campus units including, but not limited to, all academic colleges and schools, University
College, Office of Admissions, Office of International Programs, Division of Student Affairs
and Human Resources to provide relevant educational and cultural programs that enrich
curricular and co-curricular learning experiences. The office actively fosters, encourages and
promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance and open-mindedness among students,
faculty, staff and the broader community.
STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS
Since 2008, UNCW’s first-year experience course has been significantly expanded from a
one-credit to a three-credit experience. Most of the expansion involved the inclusion of key
skills, many of which are critical for students to participate in later community engagement
activities. Among the relevant learning objectives for these courses are:
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Demonstrating skills in critical thinking, study skills, time management and
project management.
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Exploring individual personality style and identifying strengths based on an
assessment or inventory.
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Demonstrating an awareness of and a greater willingness to consider a wide range
of ideas, attitudes, biases and behaviors regarding cultural, racial, ethnic, regional
and global diversity.
The course also requires a final project that can provide an opportunity for inclusion of community engagement segments. The course requires attendance at five events, which may
include performing arts, cultural arts, multicultural/diversity and community service among
others. Moreover, the first-year experience classes periodically bring in lecturers from the
community as well as reference academic goals relevant to community and broader events.
SECTION II. CATEGORIES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
A. CURRICULAR ENGAGEMENT
The purpose of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Quality Enhancement Plan
(QEP) is to employ enhanced applied learning experiences to reinforce student learning in
three of UNCW’s eight learning goals: critical thinking, thoughtful expression and inquiry. An
auxiliary aim is to enrich the environment that supports student applied learning. Through a
targeted approach, UNCW’s QEP – ETEAL: Experiencing Transformative Education through
Applied Learning – uses a three-part model to improve our students´ ability to articulate
thoughtfully their expectations and goals, to synthesize and apply classroom concepts to
other settings, and to think critically about the impact of these learning experiences at the
levels of personal development and of their fields of study.
Within UNCW, applied learning is a pedagogical model that places students in experiences
requiring them to integrate previously learned theories, ideas and skills in new and challenging contexts, thereby extending their learning. UNCW enjoys a long-standing commitment
to applied learning and today’s UNCW students are immersed in a rich environment where
thousands of applied learning opportunities are made available during the academic year. For
instance, a QEP Task Force survey identified more than 7,700 applied learning experiences
at UNCW in a single academic year. Moreover, all UNCW colleges, schools and academic
majors require “applied learning” for enrolled students, and the general education curriculum
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(University Studies) mandates at least one such experience in a component area titled
“Explorations Beyond the Classroom.” ETEAL creates a systematic, university-wide process
that provides professional development support for engaged instructors, implements new
applied learning experiences for students and captures evidence of the impact of enhanced
applied learning experiences on key student learning goals.
STUDENT RESEARCH
UNCW is proud to engage undergraduate students in the research process or in creative
scholarly activity in meaningful ways. Many undergraduates have unique and extended
opportunities to partner with faculty and graduate students in the research projects.
UNCW is launching the URI Project to gather information about the extent and breadth of
extracurricular research and creative scholarly activities in which students are involved.
Students can enter information about their URI online, plus apply to be recognized as
UNCW Undergraduate Research URI Scholars.
The purpose of tracking Undergraduate Research Involvement (URI) is to recognize and
encourage student involvement in scholarly activity with faculty and faculty involvement as
mentors for undergraduate research experiences.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP COURSES
The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement strives to assist UNCW students in
building their capacity to both lead and follow. One such way is through the Leadership
Development Program, which is a three-phase, co-curricular, self-designed, adaptable
program. Through cognitive (thinking) and applied (doing) experiences, students will
increase their awareness of self, others and the community.
Students can elect to engage in multiple experiences across campus and in the community
that meet the requirements of this program. The flexibility of selecting activities that meet
both personal and professional needs allows each student to chart their own course in
practicing leadership.
To complete the program, students need to obtain experiences in the “thinking” and “doing”
categories in order to fulfill each phase of the model. In total, students will complete three
phases by participating in 22 experiences. Students will summarize their experiences and
create an artifact that expresses their development in each stage of the program.
INTERNSHIPS/CO-OPS
The Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO) program provides graduate
teaching assistantships and graduate fellowships each year for graduate students to work
with nonprofit organizations to create frameworks that help the organization build its capacity.
Additionally, Career Services has designed an innovative Certified Internship Program
(launched in fall 2013) that provides students with a framework to enhance knowledge and
experience learned in the classroom through their paid or unpaid internship experiences. It is
open to students in all majors and all departments, currently enrolled at UNCW, who meet the
eligibility requirements. Advanced learning will be achieved by the student through a number
of exercises and assignments, including: setting intentional and appropriate learning objectives with the onsite supervisor, maintaining biweekly journals to process the experience,
participating in virtual workshops to excel in career development, meeting with the onsite
supervisor for a formal evaluation at the conclusion of the internship and delivering a culminating presentation to highlight one’s overall learning experience.
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STUDY ABROAD
At UNCW, study abroad encompasses a wide variety of experiences, including the traditional
classroom experience as well as applied-learning settings, such as internships, practica,
service-learning and research. Roughly 750 UNCW students study abroad each year for
academic credit, while more than 840 students study abroad in various education programs.
GENERAL EDUCATION
UNCW has implemented a new general education program, University Studies. This
program was fully implemented with the 2012-13 catalogue and seeks to add additional
student experience with key competencies and themes, as well as requiring applied learning
and capstone experiences. This program includes the following elements:
Foundations: Composition, Lifetime Wellness, Mathematics and Statistics, Foreign Language
and First-Year Seminar.
Regional Engagement: These options include course-embedded service learning projects
with community-based organizations (profit or non-profit) that may not currently result in
academic credit but represent substantial opportunities for students to gain direct experience
with issues they have encountered in coursework.
FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE COURSES
Since 2008, UNCW’s first-year experience course has been significantly expanded from a
one credit to a three-credit experience. Most of the expansion involved the inclusion of key
skills, many of which are critical for students to participate in later community engagement
activities.
The course also requires a final project that can provide an opportunity for inclusion of
community engagement segments. The course requires attendance at five events, which
may include performing arts, cultural arts, multi-cultural/diversity and community service,
among others. Moreover, first-year experience classes periodically bring in lecturers from the
community as well as reference academic goals relevant to community and broader events.
CAPSTONE/SENIOR LEVEL PROJECTS
As part of the change in UNCW’s general education program, all majors are required to
provide a capstone summative experience. In many majors this provides an opportunity
for outreach and community engagement in applying the principles of the discipline.
Selected examples include: Community Health Nursing, Social Work Field Practicum I,
Internship in Community Health Education, Field Experiences in Exercise Science, Seminar
in Environmental Studies, Practicum in Education of Young Children, Applied Learning Seminar in Biological Studies, Internship in Recreation Therapy and Practicum in Public Sociology.
IN THE MAJORS
Data released from the 2012-13 academic year indicates that over 85 percent of academic
departments have some form of service learning courses, with 53 percent of faculty involved.
These numbers translate into 41 percent of the student body participating in service
learning courses.
SUMMARY NARRATIVE DESCRIBING OVERALL CHANGES AND TRENDS IN
CURRICULAR ENGAGEMENT SINCE LAST CLASSIFICATION
With respect to curricular engagement, the biggest change since the 2008 Carnegie
classification includes UNCW’s implementation of a new general education program,
University Studies in 2012 to seek additional student experiences with key competencies
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and themes. Two of these experiences include Explorations Beyond the Classroom and
Capstone Courses. These are applied learning experiences that can be fulfilled through
internships and community engagement activities among other approaches.
Since 2008, UNCW has fundamentally shifted its focus on increasing engagement and
applied learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff. This will continue to be a focal
point for curricular engagement efforts.
B. OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS
OUTREACH
Beginning in the summer of 2011, the Watson College of Education, in partnership with
Columbus County Schools, offered a distinctive summer enrichment project for middle school
students on the campus of UNCW. The project offered students from Chadbourn Middle
School opportunities during summers 2011, 2012 and 2013 to explore a range of topics led
by UNCW faculty and staff members. Specifically, the project was developed to build participating students’ competence in literacy and inquiry-based research and further student enthusiasm for college and career.
QENO has brought training, workshops, coaching, technical assistance, AmeriCorps VISTA
members, student projects and faculty research to over 150 organizations each year. QENO
provides over 40 student projects within nonprofit organizations in the region, is currently
involved in six research projects regarding the nonprofit sector, has placed AmeriCorps VISTA
members with nine nonprofit organizations, provided over 400 coaching hours to nonprofit
organizations and provided over 2,000 training hours to individuals about nonprofit management topics. QENO is also instrumental in building relationships in the community to create
and sustain community partnerships including the Blue Ribbon Commission to Prevent Youth
Violence, City of Wilmington Violence Reduction Initiative, Hometown Hire Initiative, Wilmington Housing Authority’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative and City of Jacksonville’s BoardConnect initiative.
PARTNERSHIPS
The overall goal since the last application is to make UNCW’s community partnerships a
national model of community and economic engagement excellence in higher education
through the creation of best practices, while enhancing partnership initiatives with industry,
government and community partners. A strengthened focus on providing oversight and support to existing partnerships and working with the university’s leadership to support efforts to
build engagement capacity across the university has been a priority, which has included the
development and coordination of strategy and protocols for working with community, agency
and business partners.
As part of this effort, the Office of Community Partnerships facilitates connections to and
among partnerships and community initiatives, functions as a one-stop source of information
about the university’s community initiative and business partnership opportunities for internal
and external groups, allows collaboration with the Office of University Relations to promote
university, community and business efforts and with the Division for University Advancement
for inclusive involvement of community and business partners and friends on various funding
and stewardship initiatives, as well as creating and nurturing the legal and financial nature of
new partnership opportunities.
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SECTION III. WRAP-UP
With respect to overall changes that have taken place related to outreach and partnerships
on campus since the last classification, the biggest change includes UNCW’s implementation
of a strategic commitment to building capacity for university-wide engagement. The formation
of a community partnerships senior leadership position and office reporting directly to the
chancellor, fundamentally shifting its university focus on increasing engagement and applied
learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff, and implementing University Studies
supported the priorities of this commitment.
From this commitment of the senior leaders came the creation of a faculty engagement and
outreach committee and a campus outreach council, both responsible for raising the awareness and capacity for the integration of engagement in and out of the classroom. In addition,
new criteria, strategies and goals were put in place to help support faculty, staff and student
initiatives in the community.
Metrics and measurement tools were developed and used to do internal and external assessments of partnership levels and reciprocity, engagement inventories and data have been
collected to show impact and analyses have been completed to help guide direction and
progress as well as growth potential.
Participation in national associations as members and on working committees has strengthened our knowledge and given us a national platform for sharing our vision, focus, strategies
and tools. Some of these include:
•
Hosting the 2014 North Carolina Campus Compact annual Civic
Engagement Institute
•
Hosting the 2014 North Carolina Campus Compact Pathways to
Achieving Civic Engagement Conference
•
Member, Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Committee on
Engagement and Outreach
•
Member, Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Research and
Data Collection Committee
•
UNC-system Engagement Council, as founding chair
Since 2008, UNCW has fundamentally shifted its focus on increasing engagement and
applied learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff. This will continue to be a focal
point for outreach and partnership efforts until we complete our three-year strategic plan that
includes progress in data analytics, partnership initiations and assessments, and communication strategies to bring awareness to the impact UNCW has in southeastern North Carolina.
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uncw.edu/partnerships
An EEO/AA Institution. 250 copies of this public document were printed
at a cost of $1,213.53 or $4.85 per copy. (G.S. 143–170.1). 12/14
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