Our Mission
Seed Coalition strengthens the capacity of colleges and universities to fulfill the public purposes of higher education through its coalition of diverse college campuses in the Midwest. We are a place-based organization with a commitment to bettering our communities through civic and community engagement. Our network includes rural and urban campuses, public universities and private colleges, community colleges, and trade schools. Together we move toward a more just and equitable society.
We connect higher education professionals who work in the spaces of community and civic engagement. Our programming includes educating students through community and civic learning experiences, making an impact in communities through reciprocal partnerships that address community-identified goals, creating partnership opportunities, providing quality professional development, and promoting the importance of the civic mission. Learn about our member benefits.
Vision
Coming spring of 2024.
Our Values
Dependability
We are here for each other and for our coalition, and we hold ourselves accountable for our work. We take initiative and step in to help our members, partners, and colleagues to achieve success.
Mission Focus
We are connected to the big picture of our vision. We model the civic and community engagement we strive to create in the world and continually tie our daily work to our larger mission.
Inclusivity
We know that we learn the most from those who have had limited opportunities to be heard. We critically examine power structures, seek out diverse voices, and strive to ensure that we are representing our members and organization in a way that upholds our collective integrity and dignity.
Relationships
We care about those we serve and so we focus on being flexible, responsive, relational, and empathic. We build trust-based relationships and prioritize listening to the voices of those most connected to the issues we seek to address.
Continual Growth
We regularly reflect on our work and actions and think critically about our approach and goals. We seek to develop our knowledge and expertise in ways that serve our mission and our members.
Equity Commitment
In 2020, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact began the process of making a concrete commitment to equity in our work and operations. Equity is essential to the civic mission and the future of higher education. We cannot strive to promote the public good of higher education without acknowledging who has been excluded from or exploited by the definitions of “public good” that have emerged out of institutions with legacies of Native American removal, racial segregation, and other white supremacist violence. Our approach is grounded in an ethic of full participation that recognizes the need for architectural approaches and systemic change.
History
Minnesota Campus Compact was founded in 1994 and Iowa Campus Compact came into existence in 2003. The two organizations joined a strategic alliance in 2019 and legally merged in October 2022. Seed Coalition was formerly Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact and completed their transition to an independent organization in 2024. Initially both part of the national Campus Compact affiliate network, We continue to provide the same dedicated support and offerings as we have for the past 30+ years.
