Levels of Commitment to Community Engagement, Characterized by Key Organizational Factors Evidencing Relevance to Institutional Mission
| Level One: Low Relevance |
Level Two: Medium Relevance |
Level Three: High Relevance |
Level Four: Full Integration |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission | No mention or undefined rhetorical reference | Engagement is part of what we do as educated citizens | Engagement is an aspect of our academic agenda | Engagement is a central and defining characteristic |
| Leadership (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Deans, Chairs) | Engagement not mentioned as a priority; general rhetorical references to community or society | Expressions that describe institution as asset to community through economic impact | Interest in and support for specific, short-term community projects; engagement discussed as a part of learning and research | Broad leadership commitment to a sustained engagement agenda with ongoing funding support and community input |
| Promotion, Tenure, Hiring | Idea of engagement is confused with traditional view of service | Community engagement mentioned; volunteerism or consulting may be included in portfolio | Formal guidelines for defining, documenting and rewarding engaged teaching/research | Community-based research and teaching are valid criteria for hiring and rewards |
| Organization Structure and Funding | No units focus on engagement or volunteerism | Units may exist to foster volunteerism/community service | Various separate centers and institutes are organized to support engagement; soft funding | Infrastructure exists (with base funding) to support partnerships and widespread faculty/student participation |
| Student Involvement & Curriculum | Part of extracurricular student life activities | Organized institutional support for volunteer activity and community leadership development | Opportunity for internships, practica, some service-learning courses | Service-learning and community-based learning integrated across curriculum; linked to learning goals |
| Faculty Involvement | Traditional service defined as campus duties; committees; little support for interdisciplinary work | Pro bono consulting; community volunteerism acknowledged | Tenured/senior faculty may pursue community-based research; some teach service-learning courses | Community-based research and learning intentionally integrated across disciplines; interdisciplinary work is supported |
| Community Involvement | Random, occasional, symbolic or limited individual or group involvement | Community representation on advisory boards for departments or schools | Community influences campus through active partnerships, participation in service-learning programs or specific grants | Community involved in defining, conducting and evaluating community-based research and teaching; sustained partnerships |
| External Communications and Fundraising | Community engagement not an emphasis | Stories of students or alumni as good citizens; partnerships are grant dependent | Emphasis on economic impact of institution; public role of centers, institutes, extension | Engagement is integral to fundraising goals; joint grants/gifts with community; base funding |
Barbara A. Holland, 2006. Adapted from Holland, Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Vol.4, Fall 1997, pp. 30-41.