by Ash Coutu, CFICE Communications Research Assistant, edited by Alexandra Hine, CFICE Administrative Research Assistant
Have an idea for a community-campus partnership but don’t know where to start to make it happen? Then this post is for you! In CFICE’s 7-step guide, you will be directed to resources that will equip you with the tools to develop meaningful community-campus engagement (CCE) partnerships, and help you make a positive changes in your community.
Step 1: Ask the hard questions
Conduct a needs and resource assessment
The March of Dimes Foundation’s step-by-step guide asks the question, “Are we ready for community-based participatory research?” Their extensive manual provides ‘Readiness Assessments,’ great definitions, and case studies.
- The March of Dimes Foundation, “Making Community-Based Partnerships Work: A Toolkit.”
You can also check out this simple worksheet which can help your community-based organization (CBO) brainstorm how resources can result in future partnerships.
- Hands On Network’s “Mapping Community Resources Worksheet“
Step 2: Consider the Context
Be practical
Beacons for Public Engagement’s, “Guide to Working with Universities on Research Projects,” lays out practical things to consider in a succinct brochure with links to other useful toolkits.
- Beacons for Public Engagement, “Community Toolkit: A Guide for Working with Universities on Research Projects.”
Step 3: Make the Connections
Reach out to universities
This short informative guide by the UK Community Partner Network includes practical suggestions and recommendations for how get your organization involved with universities.
- UK Community Partner Network, “Getting Started“
In addition to the guide above, here are twelve tips for how to make contact with potential university partners.
- UK Community Partner Network, “Contacting Academics“
Ready to set the project course together?
Step 4: Set a Direction
Plan your CCE Research Project
This easy-to-use guide by ULCA offers great examples of community-campus engagement (CCE) research, and a glossary of terms to help you effectively plan your CCE research project. It also provides links to additional resources to assist your CBO in defining a specific research problem.
Shasta College has put together a great manual with practical tips on what to expect when working on a CCE research project. This guide also describes how to design a service-learning experience, includes checklists for orientation between students and CBOs, and great examples of Risk and Liability release forms.
- Shasta College, “Community Partner Handbook“
The Pace Society’s guide on research ethics will help ensure that everyone involved in your CCE research project is treated ethically. It includes a guide to ethics in community-campus partnerships, and provides links to additional resources.
- Pace Society in collaboration with The Research Development Team, “Research Ethics: A Guide for Community Organizations.”
Step 5: Build your Relationships
Cultivate meaningful partnerships
In this resource, you will learn how to forge strong community-campus partnerships by strategically planning for both the day-to-day and future management of your community-campus engagement (CCE) research project. This guide also includes information on how to cultivate leadership and introduces practical ways to effectively communicate between research teams.
- America’s Promise, The Alliance for Youth: “Connecting Communities with Colleges and Universities.”
This short document defines what it means to have a meaningful research partnership. It explains what an equitable relationships between post-secondary institutions and community-based organizations looks like.
- Portland State University, “A Guide to Reciprocal Community-Campus Partnerships.”
Step 6: Evaluate the Project
Make sure your work is making an impact
You’ve done the work, now it is time to evaluate. Here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide for evaluating the effectiveness of your community-campus engagement (CCE) research partnership.
- Community Tool Box, “A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools“
Step 7: Go above and beyond
Maintain Quality Assurance
Now that you have successfully created a community-campus engagement (CCE) partnership what do you do? Check out this link for tips on how to maintain quality performance, so your project stands the test of time.
- Community Tool Box, “Achieving and Maintaining Quality Performance“
What other resources do you use for setting up and maintaining your CCE partnerships? Let us know in the comments!