President Beck convened this group to oversee community engagement at Lawrence, to make sure that all of us working on outreach projects are communicating and collaborating effectively. This committee will guide further progress and help those of us under the community engagement "umbrella" determine how best to assess our efforts. The engaged learning web site has a link to the specific goals of this body.
The first year of intentional, focused egaged learning at Lawrence ended on a high note. We exceeded the goals we had for starting projects, contacting faculty, and putting necessary structure in place. This summer we will be setting priorities for next year. Short version: more.
How many students think regularly about their CO-curricular transcript? Wouldn't it be helpful if that transcript documented all the many ways students are involved on and off campus? We are in the process of thinking how to record community engagement activities in a way that will make sense to outsiders (e.g. prospective employers) and will help us highlight successful activities.
The recently formed council consists of faculty, staff, and two Lawrence students. We are meeting every other week to discuss goals and strategies for community engagement at Lawrence. One idea that has emerged: there is quite a bit of engagement happening -- we need to call attention to it and be more conscious of it. Of course, we want to stir the pot even more!
We hope to post a report from the council very soon!
As one of the conditions of the grant we received from the Pieper Foundation, I needed to write a detailed report (complete with budget) on the fledgling engaged learning efforts here at Lawrence. The Foundation provided an evaluation sheet that would determine how much additional money they would provide, depending on how we were doing. I submitted the written report earlier this month and made an oral presentation at a dinner meeting last Thursday the 17th. Provost David Burrows and Director of Research Administration Bill Skinner also attended the dinner in downtown Milwaukee.
Having never given a presentation to a business audience at a formal dinner, I did have some hesitation, but talking about engaged learning at Lawrence is easy for me to do, and so I made a reservation for a rented tuxedo and began slaving over the report.
Janice Ruechel expertly worked out the budget. Dr. Skinner helped formulate a needed survey of alumni volunteer service, and he sent the survey out on very short notice to alums from the classes of '05, '03, and '98. The responses were very encouraging and should serve to benchmark our work over the next couple of years.
At the end of the dinner we were served dessert while the Foundation members (all members of the same family) retired to finalize their gift to Lawrence. And it ended up being $130,000. This money will go to the endowment to support engaged learning. We have a strong foothold!
Jessica Bonsall and others have formed a new group to bring a college experience to local children. The CADY group is planning some Saturday "college for kids" presentations where younger students can see what it's like to go to college. More details to follow!
We hope to use our blog to spread information and to invite suggestions on new projects. We have initiated discussions with faculty, students, and with a wide variety of outside entities, including other colleges engaged in similar engagement! Details soon!
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