ERIC Number: EJ1156193
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1534-6102
EISSN: N/A
Shifting Engagement Efforts through Disciplinary Departments: A Mistake or A Starting Point? A Cross-Institutional, Multidepartment Analysis
Lake, Danielle; Mileva, Gloria; Carpenter, Heather L.; Carr, Dillon; Lancaster, Paula; Yarbrough, Todd
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, v21 n3 p135-164 2017
This article documents the innovative practices and initial outcomes from the Grand Rapids Engaged Department Initiative, a cross-institutional collaboration designed in response to the failures of higher education to systematically engage in place. Created to incentivize and resource systemic and cultural shifts across three institutions of higher education in the region, the initiative seeks to increase faculty knowledge and skills in community-based teaching, foster inter- and intracollaborations, expand students' community-based learning opportunities, and enhance community partnerships. Initial outcomes and stakeholder perceptions are detailed using previous validated research instruments and systemic action research practices. An examination of the three institutions and the seven participating departments reveals how structural and cultural barriers pose heavy challenges to cross-institutional engagement; we also highlight promising countermeasures for effecting change, including inclusive visioning processes and accountability mechanisms. Recommendations aim to support others' efforts to generate and sustain collaborative engagement.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Departments, Institutional Cooperation, College Faculty, School Community Relationship, Barriers, Educational Change, Place Based Education, Partnerships in Education, Public Colleges, Private Colleges, Community Colleges, Action Research, Communities of Practice
Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, University of Georgia and the Institute of Higher Education. Treanor House, 1234 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602. Tel: 706-542-6167; Fax: 706-542-6124; e-mail: jheoe@uga.edu; Web site: http://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A