The campus is launching an Engaged Faculty Fellows Program which will provide programming and mentoring for faculty who are eager to integrate community-based teaching in a course. The program will begin in Fall 2017 and conclude once the Fellow has taught his/her course (Fall 2018 or Spring 2019). Three mentors and three fellows will be selected to participate in this pilot program. Thanks to funding provided by Academic Affairs, participants will receive small stipends.  If you are interested in participating, submit your application to Gail McGuire at gmcguire@iusb.edu by Friday, September 8, 2017. See Engaged Faculty Fellows Program Description-28fj32s for details.

Rick Kolbe, Dean of the Leighton School, is working to increase neighborhood connectedness and development of the River Park community. Such efforts would include economic development along the Mishawaka corridor as well as reducing barriers and increasing the contact points between the various entities in the neighborhood. Dr. Kolbe is interested in finding ways to strengthen and interconnect the amazing parts of River Park neighborhood – a university, high school, elementary school, zoo, farmer’s market, public library, river, etc.  It is not too often that all these resources are located in one neighborhood! If you are interested in this new initiative or know someone in the community who might be interested, please contact Dr. Kolbe (rkolbe@iusb.edu).

Radiography students at IU South Bend are actively engaged with patients and the community by providing patient care through imaging services.  Within the last year,  student radiographers put in over 1,800 hours at area clinical facilities, according to Maryann Oake, Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiological Sciences.  In the final year of the program, students also complete a service learning project that helps strengthen the relationship between students and the community.  Students volunteered at organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Ribbon of Hope.  Volunteering and community engagement enhance student learning, prepare students to be well-rounded professionals, and help to make our community healthier.

Jay VanderVeen recently presented a paper about how archaeological field schools make more engaged citizens at a Twitter Conference on Public Archaeology. His findings suggest that the power of an archaeological field school can be more than an investigation into the past and training of specific excavation and analytical skills. It can also be positively linked to the development or increase of commitments to social and political concerns. Jay’s tweets (see  Public Archaeology Twitter Conference 2017-24k2ztp) were viewed by nearly 1500 people!

Alison Stankrauff, Archivist and Associate Librarian, collaborated with the St. Joseph County Public Library and Civil Rights Heritage Center to obtain an Indiana Memory Digitization Grant, which they used to create Michiana Memories (http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p16827coll4), a website with local African American historical collections. Some of the items available on the website include photographs from the Dr. Bernard Streets Collection; copies of a South Bend African American newspaper; and historical documents and studies on race and housing in South Bend. Stankrauff is excited about the impact this collection will have on the community: “This project helps to tell the full story of Michiana…It adds the voices and stories of local African Americans and activists to show the amazing and important history we all share.”

Scholarship of Engagement grants provide opportunities for service learning course development (developing a new course or adding service learning to an existing course), service learning research, or professional service with a local community agency. These opportunities provide long-term impact for faculty, staff, students, and community agencies while fostering/strengthening campus-community partnerships. Funding up to $2,250 with an institutional cash match of $750 is available. Applications are due on Monday, August 14, 2017.

An engaged campus needs an engaged chancellor, and that’s exactly what we have in Chancellor Allison. Read his message to learn about his efforts to improve the quality of life in this region through the Economic Development Committee of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities and the Regional Cities Initiative.

Hello and welcome to the Carnegie Engaged Campus blog.  Visit this site to learn about grants, professional development opportunities, and research related to community engagement. This blog will also regularly feature faculty, staff and students who are serving our communities through service learning projects, civic engagement, internships, community-based research, and volunteering.

I look forward to celebrating the work that you are doing around community engagement and connecting you with resources to engage our community. If you are new to this type of work, be prepared to watch students transform, to develop meaningful connections, and to use your expertise in new and exciting ways.

Gail McGuire, Director, Carnegie Engaged Campus Initiative