{"id":7666,"date":"2018-07-27T12:10:48","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T16:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/communityfirst\/?p=7666"},"modified":"2018-07-27T12:10:48","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T16:10:48","slug":"visions-for-the-future-of-community-campus-engagement-in-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/communityfirst\/2018\/visions-for-the-future-of-community-campus-engagement-in-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Visions for the Future of Community-Campus Engagement in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

What should community-campus engagement (CCE) look like for our students, our communities, and our institutions? This is the question that was posed to several panelists at the June 20, 2018 launch of Community-Campus Engage Canada<\/a>, an emerging network of community-campus engagement practitioners seeking to share learnings and bolster the field of CCE in Canada.<\/p>\n

Below, we share panelists’ visions for the future of CCE in Canada.<\/p>\n

A commitment to CCE is our responsibility<\/em> – Jerry Tomberlin, Interim Provost and Vice-President Academic, Carleton University<\/h2>\n

\"Portrait<\/a>It is a great privilege to welcome you to our beautiful campus and to Ottawa.<\/p>\n

How fitting to be in Canada\u2019s capital for this day, as we launch a new national effort, \u2018Community Campus Engage Canada\u2019, as a network to build and strengthen community-campus partnerships all across this country.<\/p>\n

You are here because of course you recognize the value and potential of community-campus engagement.\u00a0But we must also recognize that this is more than a matter of value: it is a matter of responsibility.<\/p>\n

As public institutions, we are charged with preserving, passing forward and generating knowledge. This is our mandate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But increasingly we understand that knowledge is given not just to individuals, but to the whole of society.\u00a0And our efforts, our scholarship, is critical to solving our collective challenges and uplifting us all.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, we are here to serve the greater good.\u00a0This is a fundamental value here at Carleton. In some ways, it\u2019s in our DNA, expressed in our ethos\u2014that we are \u201cHere for Good.\u201d It\u2019s a value that we celebrated last year, during the university\u2019s 75th anniversary. We paid tribute to the original founders of Carleton. This was a group of well-meaning residents and local leaders who, in 1942, recognized a need in the city. The founders saw that the young people of Ottawa\u2014those who had moved here to support the war effort, and those who would soon return from serving overseas\u2014deserved a new option for higher education. Not only would this improve the lives of these young people, it would ultimately contribute to a stronger city, a more prosperous economy, a richer cultural and social fabric. And so these founders brought their time, energy and resources together to do something good\u2014to build Carleton College, now University. It was a gift of individual opportunity and a means to serve the greater good.<\/p>\n

The spirit of those founders is very present at Carleton to this day. We strive to uphold their vision of doing good things for the community. We teach the value of community service, incorporating it into a growing number of experiential learning opportunities for students.<\/p>\n

At last count, over 2500 Carleton students were involved in some type of community-based experiential learning opportunity each year, working in cooperation with a wide range of external partners, whether through thesis research, internships, practicums, undergraduate capstone research projects and more.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We encourage researchers to partner with local organizations and businesses, ensuring their discoveries offer meaningful and enlightening \u201cco-created\u201d knowledge.\u00a0And we engage graduates, supporters, volunteers and community groups through philanthropy, so that together we might make the world a better place. These principles underscore our ethos and define our responsibility\u2014that in all things we must be Here for Good, in service to our community and a vital part of its future.<\/p>\n

And so we are proud to host the launch of Community Campus Engage Canada today. You, like Carleton, are Here for Good\u2014you wish to serve the greater good and build a wiser, more prosperous, more caring world through education. We are honoured that you have come to our campus for this discussion.<\/p>\n

And we are honoured that from our campus, and from the success of the Carleton-based CFICE project, there has emerged this new collaborative national effort to strengthen our communities and serve the health and well-being of us all.<\/p>\n

CCE will contribute to more civic engagement<\/em> – Karine Diedrich, Director, Public Engagement and Stakeholder Relations, Volunteer Canada<\/h2>\n

\"Portrait<\/a>It is a pleasure to be here today. Volunteer Canada is proud to provide national leadership and expertise on volunteerism to increase the participation, quality and diversity of volunteer experiences. We collaborate with a network of over 200 local volunteer centres, many of which work closely with post-secondary institutions in their community.<\/p>\n

As we know, community-campus relationships take many forms and involve a wide range of players. Linkages between colleges and universities, and community-based organizations can create benefits for students, professors, researchers, funders, not-for-profit organizations, public agencies, and academic institutions.<\/p>\n

It can enhance academic learning, prepare students to become actively engaged in social issues and help expand their network as they prepare to enter the workforce. It can increase the capacity of an organization to achieve its mission, bring theoretical concepts to life and contribute to better programs and policies.<\/p>\n

The work of the Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement – or CFICE \u2013 research project has helped to identify how community and campus players work together to positively impact their communities, generating a wealth of community-first stories and resources to support equitable partnerships and positive experiences for all the players involved.<\/p>\n

It is my hope that the development of the new Community-Campus Engagement in Canada (CCEC) network will facilitate continued learning and sharing of experiences. That it will support community-campus experiences that benefit all players. That the benefits will extend beyond a single research project, academic credit or volunteer experience. That it will contribute to more civic engagement across our institutions and communities, help us better understand our respective realities, challenges and strengths and ultimately lead to strong, connected and vibrant communities across Canada. Thank you.<\/p>\n

CCE helps us evolve to meet the demands of a changing landscape<\/em> – Andrea Dicks, Chief Operating Officer, Community Foundations of Canada<\/h2>\n

\"Portrait<\/a>Good morning. I am delighted to be here on behalf of Community Foundations of Canada.<\/p>\n

For those who may be less familiar with CFC…<\/p>\n