Foster community engagement that benefits faculty, students and community partners.
Background
°®¶¹´«Ã½ understands the value of collaboration and will continue to establish partnerships throughout the region, New York state and beyond. Through these partnerships with community organizations, businesses and agencies, °®¶¹´«Ã½ will become a model of community engagement that will revitalize communities while centering mutuality and reciprocity with our partners.
°®¶¹´«Ã½ will foster a culture of engagement for all campus constituents through community-engaged teaching, learning and research, and involvement in our communities. First, students will participate in activities that engage them interpersonally within the local community. They will participate in community experiences that develop character traits to better contribute to community and civic life while addressing shared goals with the community. Additionally, faculty and staff will work closely with students and the local community to develop an approach for teaching and learning that integrates purposeful community partnerships with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, support civic development and strengthen communities.
As soon as new students step on campus, they will have opportunities to engage in service and philanthropic activities. Their coursework will incude community components such as capstone projects, internships and group service projects. From the start, °®¶¹´«Ã½ will integrate a culture of community service into the student experience.
Through these efforts, °®¶¹´«Ã½ students will become more than outstanding academics. They will grow into informed, conscientious citizens who develop improved social responsibility and solid citizenship skills that can lead to greater community and civic involvement after their time at °®¶¹´«Ã½.
Faculty and staff will build stronger relationships within the communities they live and with students. Faculty will discover additional avenues for research and publications via newfound relationships between themselves and the community, while at the same time finding networking opportunities with other faculty or institutions.
As part of our commitment to community engagement, °®¶¹´«Ã½ is pursuing the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.
Goals & Metrics
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ faculty and staff collaborate with the community through their engaged teaching and scholarship.
Metric
Number of faculty
What/How
Number of faculty reporting community-engaged scholarship on their Annual Faculty Report
Why
Community-engaged scholarship increases the relevance of research
Target
100 by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ faculty and staff collaborate with the community through their engaged teaching and scholarship.
Metric
Number of faculty
What/How
Number of faculty offering designated community-engaged learning courses
Why
Community-engaged learning benefits both students and community organizations
Target
45 by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ faculty and staff collaborate with the community through their engaged teaching and scholarship.
Metric
Number of courses
What/How
Number of community-engaged learning courses offered
Why
Community-engaged learning benefits both students and community organizations
Target
70 by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ students are engaged in their communities.
Metric
Number of students
What/How
Number of students enrolled in community-engaged learning courses
Why
Community-engaged learning benefits both students and community organizations
Target
1200 by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ students are engaged in their communities.
Metric
% of students
What/How
Percentage of undergraduate students engaging in co-curricular activity as reported to B-Engaged
Why
Student volunteerism is important in creating a lifelong practice of community involvement
Target
40% by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ students are engaged in their communities.
Metric
Rate
What/How
Difference between BU student rate of voting and NSLVE benchmark
Why
Student voting is important in creating engaged citizens
Target
No difference from NSLVE benchmark
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ staff and faculty volunteer in their communities.
Metric
% of faculty
What/How
Percentage of faculty reporting community service on their Annual Faculty Report
Why
Faculty and staff have valuable skills and knowledge to share with their communities
Target
60% by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ staff and faculty volunteer in their communities.
Metric
% of staff
What/How
Percentage of staff reporting community service on Professional Staff Senate survey
Why
Faculty and staff have valuable skills and knowledge to share with their communities
Target
75% by 2026
Goal: °®¶¹´«Ã½ and the community engage in mutually beneficial relationships.
Metric
% of organizations
What/How
Percentage of organizations agreeing or strongly agreeing
Why
Working with organizations should be mutually beneficial-- not a burden to one of the participants
Target
75% by 2026