New ED Leslie Garvin welcomes network at PACE 2015.
As 2015 draws to a close, NC Campus Compact looks back at 10 significant events and accomplishments that stand out in our work this year supporting engaged NC campuses.
- On January 1, after serving for nearly 10 years as associate director of NC Campus Compact, Leslie Garvin became the third executive director to lead the network since it’s founding in 2002.
- In honor of MLK Day of Service, our cohort of AmeriCorps VISTA members organized hands-on community service activities for more than 1300 college students across the state, including more than 600 volunteers at High Point University alone.
- Snow and ice forced the cancellation of the annual Civic Engagement Institute, scheduled for February 17. Though we could not convene in person, we still explored the institute’s theme of “collective impact” through a series of webinar presentations offered by experts from our institute line-up.
- The annual PACE Conference was held as planned on February 18, bringing nearly 200 faculty and staff together to share research and best practices related to service-learning and community engagement. At PACE, we also recognized our 2015 award winners:
From left: Hicks, Hatch, Board chair Nido Qubein, Perry
- Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch
- UNC Greensboro Professor Travis Hicks
- Western Carolina University’s Dr. Lane Perry
- Central Piedmont Community College’s Dena Shonts.
- We launched our new Engaged Faculty Scholars program this summer, selecting Pfeiffer University’s Ashley Oliphant and Warren Wilson College’s Annie Jonas as the inaugural scholars. Both are researching the integration of service-learning into programs for first-year students.
- VISTA alum Carolyn Byrne Rifkin returns to the Compact as VISTA program coordinator, implementing – with our VISTA Leaders’ help – a 2-day orientation program for new VISTA members.
Our 2015-16 VISTA cohort took part in a 2-day orientation at Elon in August.
- Two new issues of our online, peer-reviewed journal Partnerships were released in 2015! In the
spring, guest editors Stephen Bloch-Schulman and Patricia Rogers produced a special edition on Teaching Democratic Thinking, which helped inspire our 2016 Civic Engagement Institute. In the fall, guest editors Brandon Kliewer and Judith Ramaley put together an issue exploring new concepts of public participation in higher education community engagement. - The network welcomed 3 NEW MEMBER SCHOOLS & PRESIDENTS this fall:
- Winston-Salem State University and Chancellor Elwood Robinson
- Wingate University and President Rhett Brown
- Guilford Tech and President Randy Parker
- In September, a special Presidents Forum explored the #ServiceYear concept. Nearly 100 college and university presidents and chancellors, foundation and corporate leaders, and allies of national service joined host President Leo Lambert and General Stanley McCrystal to discuss the challenge of making a year of service a cultural expectation and rite of passage for NC students.
Presidents and chancellors explored the service year concept at our 2015 Presidents Forum.
- Our student conference CSNAP, hosted in November by UNC Pembroke, delivered training in sustained dialogue principles to 100 student leaders and staff. The event featured student award winners, local food and Lumbee performers, as well as a tour of UNCP’s on-campus food pantry, the CARE Resource Center.
In addition to these highlights, 15 member schools received the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2015, and 4 member schools – Duke, Elon, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Warren Wilson College – were ranked among the top-20 service-learning institutions nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
Thanks to all our member campuses who made this a great year with your commitment to building strong communities and educating engaged citizens!