A DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPING BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP UC Merced Task Force for Community Engaged Scholarship MAY 1, 2012

Today’s Objectives 1.Share progress and lessons from the year’s work 2.Discuss ideas and recommendations for the work ahead

Academic Benefits Community Benefits Goal of Community Engaged Scholarship: Mutually Beneficial Academic-Community Research, Education & Service

TRADITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP CES Breaks new ground in the discipline…and has a direct application to broader public issues Answers significant questions in the discipline …which have relevance to community or public issues Is reviewed and validated by qualified peers in the discipline …and members of the community Is based on a solid theoretical basis…that takes into account community priorities Extending traditional scholarship through engaged scholarship

TRADITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP CES Applies appropriate investigative methods …which are appropriate to community conditions and resources …that can benefit from community participation Is disseminated to appropriate audiences …in a manner that community can understand and use Makes significant advances in knowledge and understanding of the disciplines …and informs public social issues …contributes to the application of knowledge to address community priorities Extending traditional scholarship through engaged scholarship

1.CES transforms how university researchers and communities typically involve each other in research toward mutual goals and expectations. 2.CES transforms how universities view and value the work of faculty and others who do community-engaged research. Key Goals and Assumptions

1.How do you understand the goals and approach or philosophy of CES? 2.How do we improve understanding and agreement on the goals and approach of CES for … UC Merced faculty, students and staff … Community partners (locally and beyond) For Discussion

2009 Chancellor Kang, faculty and community establish the Chancellor’s Task Force on Community Engaged Scholarship (CES) CES Task Force receives 2-year grant from The California Endowment to strengthen local community-university research ties. Geneva Skram, community coordinator hired. 2011

Building Bridges between Academia and Communities for Better Health via CES The Building Healthy Communities Work Plan Workshops for campus and community members on how to use CES to improve their work and impact Workshops for campus and community members on how to use CES to improve their work and impact Conferences bringing together community and campus members to understand shared health goals Conferences bringing together community and campus members to understand shared health goals Resources to serve campus and community members (e.g., databases, website) Resources to serve campus and community members (e.g., databases, website) Raising awareness and support for CES research, its results and policy implications Raising awareness and support for CES research, its results and policy implications GOAL: Strengthen capacity for collaboration between campus and community to improve community health

6 Community Workshops (over 100 community participants) –Secrets to Establishing Meaningful Relationships between Researchers and Community Members –Effective Community Based Research: Getting Started –Identifying Research Topics and Questions that Can Benefit You –Healthy City Data + Mapping Training –Intro to Research Evaluation Methods –We Need Your Voice/ Best Practices in Community Engaged Scholarship CES BHC Activities (Year 1)

7 Faculty and Student Wkshops (Over 200) New Faculty Orientations New Graduate Student Orientations General New Student Orientation (freshmen and transfer) Welcome Week “Intro to CES” in Fall and repeated Spring Finding Funding for Community Engaged Scholarship Intro to Service-Learning and CES Research Evaluation training for graduate students CES BHC Activities (Year 1)

Building Healthy Youth in Merced County: Community Engagement and Scholarship Conference, December 2011 –188 faculty, student, staff, community members Using GIS to Improve Our Communities Event, April 27, 2012 Comprehensive list of Merced County community organizations to be released this Spring Growing Community-University Task Force 15 + CES projects in development

1.How well have our projects met the CES goals for shared understanding and contribution by academic and community partners toward each other’s goals and expectations? 2.How do we improve projects so that academic and community partners better understand and contribute toward each other’s goals and expectations? For Discussion

1.Individual Level (Faculty, students, community leaders, project clients/consumers) 2.Program/Project Level (The academic-community collaboration or partnership) 3.Campus and Community Level How do we measure CES success?

CES Competencies Novice  Intermediate  Advanced CES Impact on Campus, Community and Shared/Collaborative Objectives Demonstrations of excellence in research and education Improvement in conditions and quality of life on campus and in community Emerging Guidelines and Criteria

What Does It Take to be a Community-Engaged Scholar? (Blanchard et al, 2009) 14 Competencies Required for Successful Practice of Community- Engaged Scholarship Adaptation of Existing CES Measurement Models

Examples from “What Does It Take to be a Community-Engaged Scholar?” Level 1: Novice Understand key CES concepts and literature Level 2: Novice to Intermediate Apply CES principles in research planning and implementation Level 3: Intermediate Write CES-based, peer-reviewed articles

Examples from “What Does It Take to be a Community-Engaged Scholar?” Level 4: Intermediate to Advanced Transfer CES skills to the community and other faculty Level 5: Advanced Understand policy implications and use CES to inform policy change

1.How do best move toward shared vision and objectives for CES for … UC Merced … Community partners (locally and beyond) 2.How can we improve ongoing campus and community critical reflection of CES direction and progress? For Discussion