Building Collaborative Initiatives that Enhance Student Learning

Nancy Mitchell and Linda Major

CE Values and Learning OutcomesCE Value 1: Civic Identity and Commitment

– Articulate a clarified sense of civic identity by examining personal values, beliefs, and responsibilities as a result of lessons learned from civic participation.

– Express a disposition and a capacity to become active in what one cares about and value standing up for oneself and one’s passionate commitments.

CE Value 2: Leadership within Civic Contexts– Identify and discuss opportunities to mobilize self and/or others to take action either

independently or collaboratively within civic context.

CE Value 3: Diversity of Communities and Cultures – Demonstrates a curiosity and capacity to work well across multiple audiences and different

points of view by actively engaging others within a civic context that are different than self.

CE Value 4: Civic Communication– Demonstrate communication competence appropriate to a civic context that allows one to work

effectively with others and establish relations that further action.

CE Value 5: Analysis of Knowledge– Capacity to connect and extend relevant knowledge and skills acquired through academic

study to participation in civic contexts.

CE Value 6: Action within Civic Contexts– Use reflective insight to analyze, interpret, and suggest possible solutions for issues or

problems that arise within the civic context.

Civic Engagement Values Rubric

UNL• Land grant institution• Research• Traditional undergraduate population

– 80-85% of first year class graduated from a NE high school

• City of Lincoln– 250,000– Strong town-gown relationship– Spirit of volunteerism and cooperation

Civic Engagement: Why now?

• Business demands• High impact activity

– Positive impact on variety of outcomes• Academic performance• Leadership development• Satisfaction with college• Ethic of caring • Global worldview

• Community interest and identified need

Student Expectations• Student perspective

– “It lets us see that the world is more than ourselves.” – “It builds character.” – “It ties all of the things you do together.”

• Contemporary students find that learning is relevant when they go beyond themselves to help others and work toward solving important social problems.

• Yet such opportunities are challenging to create, especially when they are approached holistically, crossing academic and co-curricular boundaries.

Take the LEAP challenge.• LEAP Principle 1:

Aim high and make excellence inclusive:

Make the Essential Learning Outcomes a Framework for the entire educational experience, connecting school, college, work, and life.

• LEAP Principle 5:Prepare students for citizenship and work through engaged and guided learning on “real-world” problems

• LEAP Principle 6:Foster civic, intercultural, and ethical learning: Emphasize

personal & social responsibility in every field of study.

What are the barriers to making excellence inclusive?

• Silos of student affairs & academic affairs– Tradition– Relationships (or lack there of)– Confusion between extracurricular and co-

curricular

• Authority• Inertia• Existing stress and strain on limited fiscal and

human resources

How can we turn barriers into opportunities for civic engagement?

• 3 perspectives, common goals?• Align human and fiscal resources to support agreed upon outcome

Student Student

Affairs

Academic

Affairs

Three examples from our work each increasing in challenge and

complexity.

Cross Cultural Mentoring• Anthropology Department – CCE Collaboration• Faculty role

– Curriculum design and delivery– Student preparation and support

• Staff role– Administrative – Professional and community development

• Student outcomes/benefits– Learn what “culture” really is and understand their own culture as they work to

teach and transition their mentee– Tuition vouchers

• Mentee benefits– Improved academic performance– Increased cultural understanding

VITA Site• Prepare tax returns for peers and low-moderate income

families• Multi-partner project

– 120 students– Four colleges, one professional school, CCE

• Benefits– Community

• 1200 returns• $1.7 million

– Students• Practical application of skills• Deeper understanding of financial strains

Certificate in Civic Engagement

Key Characteristics:

• It links learning in and outside of classes, tying gen education to co-curricular

• Expectations: be a civically engaged citizen

• No additional cost/doesn’t add time to graduation

• Can be part of major/college

• Retention tool?

How?• Link to institutional goals• Recognized and respected areas of authority and

expertise• Process important • Sought ideas and feedback from many

stakeholders• Build model on existing resources • Created new structures

– Approval process, Faculty Steering Committee• Flexibility• Student-centered approach

Challenge

• Identify and propose a collaborative initiative that impacts student learning. Please consider the following:– Need– Impact (both short-term and long-term)– Anticipated barriers– Key partners– How does it link to institutional recruitment and/or

retention priorities