Where can faculty go to learn about integrating community engagement into their teaching? What about those with years of experience in service-learning pedagogy? What if a campus is just starting a community engagement program? Or perhaps an institution is ready to take well-developed programs to the next level?
NC Campus Compact’s annual PACE Conference (Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement) supports the learning of almost 300 experienced scholars and novice practitioners with a variety of sessions that highlight model programs, explore new research, and share best practices in service-learning and student engagement. PACE 2014, held in Wilmington on Feb. 5, offers one of the strongest line-ups of workshops and presenters in the 16-year history of the event. Registration is open now!
PACE will feature several special guests, including Harris Wofford, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and now senior adviser to the Aspen Institute’s Franklin Project. The Franklin Project seeks to expand the role of national service in American civic life, and Mr. Wofford has spent a career developing programs that engage young people in service. Among his many accomplishments, he was a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy and the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Wagner College President Richard Guarasci will share how he’s helped build campus-wide “ownership” for community engagement at his institution in New York City. Dr. Guarasci will also join NC Campus Compact presidents and chancellors to discuss institutional leadership during the Presidents Forum held during PACE.
Dr. Barabara Holland, former director of the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, will headline a track of workshops and presentations that tackle the challenge of assessing the impact of engaged campuses. These sessions build on the work of NC Campus Compact’s ongoing “monitoring and measuring” virtual learning communities and will include examinations of the UNC system metrics for engagement, the Carnegie Classification measures, and other systems for evaluating the success of engagement programs.
Community college faculty and staff can follow a special 4-session track that considers engagement in community college setting. Gail Robinson, former director of service-learning for the American Association of Community Colleges, will lead this track. Her recent work includes research and support for AACC’s Horizons campus grantees, including Western Piedmont Community College.
In addition to these special offerings, PACE will feature nearly 35 workshops led by faculty and staff from across NC and the nation, along with presentations of NC Campus Compact’s annual awards for outstanding faculty, staff, and campus leaders.
Registration for PACE is open now! Participants from our member campuses pay a special rate of $100 (non-member registration is $130.) Register by January 3 to avoid a late registration fee of $25. Information about lodging can be found on the conference page.
For questions about PACE, please contact Associate Director and conference coordinator Leslie Garvin (lgarvin(@)elon.edu).
