Building Collaborative Initiatives that Enhance Student Learning

1. Building Collaborative Initiatives that Enhance Student Learning Nancy Mitchell and Linda Major

2. CE Values and Learning Outcomes CE 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.

3. Civic Engagement Values Rubric

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. Student How can we turn barriers into opportunities for civic engagement? • 3 perspectives, common goals? • Align human and fiscal resources to support agreed upon outcome • Academic • Affairs • Student • Affairs

10. Three examples from our work each increasing in challenge and complexity.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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?

14. 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

15. 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