Countdown to Coalition Series Part 3: Sustaining The Public Purpose of Higher Education

“There’s a role we can play around helping to bring people together to work together to build a common good – that’s an area that needs a lot of help and it’s an opportunity for higher education to support engaged democracy.” -David Weerts https://youtu.be/cAHwyd-4aTU In this next installment of our Countdown to Coalition series, David Weerts (University of Minnesota) and Nick Benson (University of Iowa) join IAMNCC Executive Director Rob Barron to discuss how ideas around the public good impact the principles and practices that we use to do community engagement work, what that looks like here in the Midwest,…

Countdown to Coalition Series Part 2: Strengthening Education Through Community and Civic Engagement

In our countdown toward unveiling our new organizational identity and our movement towards identifying as a Coalition, we reached out to Paula O’Loughlin, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Augsburg University. Our Director of Member Services, Kara Trebil-Smith, asked Paula to help us explore the idea of how specifically civic and community engagement strengthens higher education, on a large scale and at the individual level. We share Paula’s interview below.  Let’s start by getting to know you a bit. Can you share a bit about your role at Augsburg, your experience in higher education, and…

VISTA Member Highlight: Emma Ware at Central College

This year, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact has the privilege to sponsor AmeriCorps VISTA members at 15 sites across Minnesota and Iowa. This month, we are honored to highlight one of our VISTAs, Emma Ware, who is currently serving at Central College. So far during her term, Emma has led some amazing initiatives and projects, including a campus-wide service day, one of Central College’s favorite traditions! Emma had the opportunity to coordinate the day of service for 2023. On October 3, more than 600 Central students, staff, and faculty were sent out to volunteer with over 40 local nonprofit community…

Embracing Change and Coalition Building

As many of you know, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact is in the midst of some big and exciting changes. On July 1, 2024, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact’s affiliate status with Campus Compact will end. While our mission and work will remain the same, we will emerge from the disaffiliation process with a new name, new brand identity, and revitalized vision for our work together.  In the summer of 2022, our team began the journey of exploring a new organizational identity following Campus Compact’s decision to dissolve its affiliate-based model. As we were given a two-year timeframe to alter…

Campus Visit: College of St. Scholastica

A reflection from Executive Director, Rob Barron I tell people often that my favorite part of my job is visiting campuses across Iowa and Minnesota. As beautiful as your places to work often are, and as much as the foodie in me likes hunting out fun places to eat, the reason I love these visits is the opportunity to build and sustain relationships within the network. I’m grateful to work for an organization that is sustained by the relationships of community-facing individuals united by good work. With that in mind, I recently made a visit to Duluth. I spent time…

Reflection on Service to Mark Hispanic Heritage Month

A message from Executive Director, Rob Barron: In three days, we will mark the beginning of the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month, an opportunity to share culture and celebrate the achievements of Latinos in our community. I am proud of my Latino heritage and these thirty days are always special for me. They represent an opportunity to connect with friends and family, celebrate our elders, and remind my children of their heritage. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how our network builds the human infrastructure needed to “create conditions for all people to thrive, experience a sense of belonging,…

Student Needs During COVID-19

This unprecedented time has impacted everyone across higher education in disruptive and critical ways. Students who were already among the most vulnerable have arguably been impacted the most. The COVID-19 outbreak and pivot to distance learning have exposed and exacerbated socioeconomic and racial inequities, and many students are experiencing housing, food, or other forms of basic needs insecurity. While some lack the tools and resources to effectively engage in online learning, others (as much as 30% according to this LeadMN survey) have been laid off or are otherwise struggling more financially. First generation students, DACA students, international students, and others…

Coronavirus: How are our members responding?

As the global pandemic crisis continues to unfold, the Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact team is continuing to monitor and respond. Our goals are to share relevant resources, provide support, and bring our network together to support each other. To achieve these goals, we have created the list below of links to each member campuses’ official COVID-19 responses. The majority of our member campuses have shifted to online courses and remote work for the remainder of the semester, but there are a number of differences in approach given specific campus contexts. Additionally, we are seeking to gather information on responses…

Civic Action Academy Sessions Announced!

Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact are excited to announce the session for the 2019 Civic Action Academy! Students from across the Midwest are invited to attend this two-day conference focused on civic and community engagement. Register today! The Academy is on November 8 – 9, 2019 in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the University of Northern Iowa. Registration is $75, but students from Campus Compact member institutions can receive a $50 discount by using the code CONFERENCE. Friday, November 8, 2019, 1:30 PM Civic Engagement through College/Community Collaboration Hailey Schmitz, Maddie Fletcher, Nicholas Kennicker, Nathan Trabue, Mitchell Boxwell, Warburg College The…

VISTA Leaves Lasting Changes in Southwestern MN Higher Ed Community

VISTA at Southwestern MN College creates big changes after 2 years of service.

Meet Our VISTA Members

Name: Alejandra Maldonado Pronouns: She/her Hometown: Chicago, IL Education: B.A. in Spanish and minor in Philosophy from Central College Host Site: Central College, Pella, IA An experience in my life that has shaped my decision to spend a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA: Coming from a poor community made me want to do something to help out and better communities like mine.  Three words that best describe me: shy, pensive, friendly One thing I can’t live without: Music Something I like to do for fun: Play Catan, draw, read, and travel   Name: Alexandra Hyatt Pronouns: She/her Hometown: Longview, Tx…

Health Student Engagement: Forming a Community Clinic-University-VISTA Partnership

Susana Carlos is serving with the 2018-2019 College Health Corps cohort at the University of Minnesota (UMN)-Center for Health Interprofessional Programs (CHIP), to develop the relationship between a unit focused on health interprofessional collaboration and a university-community clinic. In this blog post, she explains the formation of this partnership and where things are headed next. 

June Resource Roundup

Short Reads & Listens Beyond My Own Border: Newman’s Own Foundation Fellow at Campus Compact Compact Nation Podcast Season 3 Episode 18: A Macro View of Micro-credentials Study Finds More Low-Income Students Attending College By: Ashley A. Smith Welcome, Kelvin Alfaro, Director of Campus Compact for Wisconsin! What Is the Future of Town-Gown Relations? These Researchers Think They Know By: Lindsay Ellis  Books, Journals, and Reports Anchor Collaboratives: Building Bridges With Place-Based Partnerships and Anchor Institutions By: Justine Porter, Danny Fisher-Bruns and Bich Ha Pham Integrating Worlds: How Off-Campus Study Can Transform Undergraduate Education By: Scott D. Carpenter, Helena Kaufman and Malene Torp…

Announcing Campus Compact’s Community Engagement Professional Credentialing Program

Announcing Campus Compact’s Community Engagement Professional Credentialing Program “Campus Compact is launching this credentialing program because we believe the work of higher education Community Engagement Professionals matters,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “It matters enough that it’s worth supporting professionals to help them do their work well–reflectively, ethically, and effectively. We also believe supporting CEPs as they build their own competencies will help higher education colleagues and community partners understand the value of CEPs and the importance of the knowledge and skills they bring to their campuses and communities.” To earn certification as a Campus Compact community engagement professional,…

Meeting Non-academic Needs Through Partnerships

Amy Soeun is a College Health Corps VISTA at Normandale Community College. She has worked strategically to develop strong partnerships to connect students to non-academic needs, and prepare for a student resource center.

April Resource Roundup

We often share new books and articles each month. This month, we’re also featuring books and articles that our staff and community of practice groups have recommended from their work and study. Some are new, some have been around. Enjoy! Short Reads & Listens Compact Nation Podcast: Season 3 Episode 15: Partnerships that Actually Work CIRCLE: 2018 Youth Turnout Increased in Every State for Which We Have Data 2018 Global Engagement Survey by: Nora Pillard Reynolds Women Hold Up Half the Sky: L.O.V.E. Notes by Marisol Morales Books, Journals, and Reports The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings,…

Meet the 2019 Minnesota Presidents’ Award Recipients

Minnesota Campus Compact (MNCC) has announced the winners of the 2019 President’s Awards. This year, 88 awardees were selected from 27 colleges and universities across the state. “Our member colleges and universities are committed to civic engagement that impacts student learning and community progress,” said Acting Minnesota Campus Compact Executive Director Emily Shields. “These awardees represent the kinds of people, projects, and collaborations we need to move Minnesota forward.” The Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ Awards provide an opportunity for member presidents and chancellors to give statewide recognition to effective leaders in the development of campus-community partnerships. Awards will be presented…

Homelessness in Minnesota

Did you know that on any given night, about 15,000 people experience homelessness in Minnesota? Read on to learn more and how the College Health Corps VISTAs are serving to alleviate the crisis.

March Resource Roundup

Short Reads Compact Nation Podcast: Season 3 Episode 11: Community Engagement Pros Compact Nation Podcast: Season 3 Episode 12: For Us, By Us MLK Worked for Transformation – Not for Service Public Engagement and the Future of the University by: Diana Brazzell What Community College Students Say Impedes Their Progress by: Ashley A. Smith Books, Journals, and Reports Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Report: Renewing the Democratic Purposes of Higher Education Building the Field of Higher Education Engagement: Foundational Ideas and Future Directions Edited by Lorilee R. Sandmann and Diann O. Jones The Diversity of Gentrification: Multiple Forms of Gentrification in…

Substance Use Research Beyond Classroom Walls

“Behind every naloxone kit dispensed is a human life potentially saved, a second chance, and countless friends and family members who get to help their loved one another day. Some believe that those struggling with a substance use disorder aren’t worth helping, but they’d think differently if they met any of our focus group participants.”