Inspired by Eric Liu’s You Are More Powerful Than You Think and his notion of civic power, this webinar will introduce the concept of community colleges as “Civic Power Plants” generating power in the civic life of their students and campuses. How can community colleges harness their true public purpose by educating for democracy and sending it out to make a difference in the civic lives of the communities that they serve? This webinar will feature examples of civic engagement from across the diversity of the community college realm. Verdis Robinson is Director for Community College Engagement at Campus Compact. As an advocate of community college civic education, Robinson directs The Democracy Commitment (TDC) initiative as part of his portfolio. Before becoming national director of TDC, Robinson was a tenured Assistant Professor of History and African-American Studies at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. Mr. Robinson is a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Faculty Seminar on Citizenship and the American and Global Polity,...

This webinar is an opportunity for Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) and Campus Compact to explore the intersection of faith and service as it relates to student motivation to engage in civic engagement. Dr. Janett Cordovés will introduce the work of IFYC and research they have done around how students in faith communities engage with their campuses and communities through civic engagement. Dr. Cordovés will be joined by staff and students to talk about their experiences. Janett I. Cordovés, Co-Curricular Partnerships Manager, equips and empowers campus professional staff to be interfaith leaders. Prior to joining the IFYC team, Cordovés worked in higher education for thirteen years, serving in various roles including student support services, such as residence life and crisis response, as well as in academic initiatives with first-year seminars, orientation, and senior experience courses. Cordovés has recently completed her doctorate in Ethical Leadership and successfully defended her research on the influence of spirituality on first-generation college students’ level of grit and equanimity. In her...

Widely known through the work of the Harlem Children’s Zone and the federal government’s Promise and Choice Neighborhood programs, geographically specific community engagement initiatives have the potential to positively address the challenges of inequity and injustice within our communities. While we may be familiar with these types of place-based initiatives from non-profit organizations or governmental grants, less is known about this type of strategy in higher education. This webinar will include a presentation of a recent national study and the facilitators’ recent book on place-based community engagement in higher education, followed by an exploration of several of the most salient topics arising from this promising new strategy. Erica Yamamaura is Associate Professor and Program Liaison Coordinator of the Student Development Administration Program at Seattle University. A long-time believer in the use of service-learning and community-based projects as part of her pedagogy, she engages in project-based learning in graduate education in her work at Seattle University. Since 2013, Yamamura has also conducted...

Building on the 2014 “What Went Wrong?” conference, this session offers a framework for analyzing and transcending the wrongness of structures and practices in community-academic research, education, and social action partnerships that limit effective democratic participation and the distribution of power of those who experience marginalization. Susan Gust is a community activist and small business owner. In 2003-04 she was named a Humphrey Institute Public Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota. She co-founded and chaired the Phillips Neighborhood Healthy Housing Collaborative a community-university and public agency research partnership. Cathy Jordan is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Extension at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on community-based research projects that aim to address community-defined needs, contribute to social and policy change, enhance scientific methodology, and contribute valid information to our knowledge base. Brian Lozenski is Assistant Professor of Urban and Multicultural Education at Macalester College. His research explores the intersections of critical participatory research, Africana Studies, and cultural relevance, particularly in the education...

Colleges and universities face the significant challenge to help students from all backgrounds enter and complete college in a timely manner. This webinar will highlight the potential that community engagement offers to increase college completion rates, using specific research studies that have contributed to the growing body of evidence that connects community engagement with student success for all students. Lynn E. Pelco, Ph.D., is associate vice provost for community engagement in the Division of Community Engagement at Virginia Commonwealth University where she also directs the Office of Service-Learning. She earned her Ph.D. in school psychology from the Pennsylvania State University and has held clinical, administrative and faculty appointments at the University of South Australia, Bucknell University, The College of William and Mary, and The Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. Her research interests include university-community partnerships, service-learning, and university student development. Helen Rosenberg, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology and directs the Certificate Program In Gerontology at the...

Through this webinar, we will discuss the vital role that colleges and universities can play in ensuring a fair and complete count in the 2020 Census. A complete count is essential to ensuring that states maintain their federal funding levels and their representation in federal government. By working with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and most importantly, community partners, colleges and universities can support their communities in maintaining important resources. In this webinar, we will explore available resources as well as highlight schools gearing up for this work in 2020. Sherrie J. Taylor, Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies Research Associate and Liaison to the State Data Center, joined CGS full-time in April 2001, after working as a Graduate Assistant for two years. She works with the public and a wide range of institutions in supplying data knowledge based primarily on the public data provided by state and federal agencies. As the project manager of the NIU role in the...