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��Institutionalizing Community-Engaged Learning with an Equity Mindset

Dr. Richard Kiely

Associate Vice Provost for Engagement & Land Grant Affairs

Director, Academic Initiatives

David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement

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Cornell University

Founded 1865 as a private land grant research university with a public mission

9 undergraduate and 8 graduate and professional colleges and schools

80 undergraduate majors and over 100 graduate fields of study

16, 071 Undergraduate students (53% minority)

10, 213 graduate and professional students

2, 864 faculty and 7, 964 staff

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Engaged Cornell’s Theory of Change: Era 1, 2 & 3

EC’s Era 0 (2011-2015) “Foster Relational Trust”

EC’s Era 1 Strategy (2015-2020) ”Let all the Flowers Bloom”

EC’s Era 2 Strategy (2020-2025) “De-center the Center ”

EC’s aspirational goal:

100% of students participate in high quality CEL during their time at CU.

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��What is High Quality Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)?��

Criteria for Curricular and Co-Curricular CEL (All Four Required)

A community-engaged learning experience includes an organized activity outside the context of the classroom that meets the following criteria:

Addresses a specific community interest, problem or public concern;
Includes working with and learning from a community partner;*
Is connected (and well-integrated) with course (and educational) content and disciplinary perspectives; and
Includes structured, documented critical reflection

The four criteria need to be met by any course in order to be designated or “tagged” as community-engaged learning (CEL). Criteria are meant to establish consistency across colleges and depts for support high quality CEL. The creation of developmental and scaffolded educational experiences in both curricular and co-curricular areas is essential to supporting stakeholder (i.e., students, faculty, staff, community partners) preparation and learning as well as community partnership development that models ethical engagement at home and abroad.

*Community partner is broadly understood and includes for profit, not-for-proifit, local, international organizations and other types of communities (i.e., industry, hotels, small businesses, community organizations, government, networks, schools, neighborhood groups etc).

Additional activities:

Includes training and preparation for community engagement (i.e., safety, general and site-specific training etc)
Includes faculty, staff, and/or peer-mentorship
Includes assessment of student learning
Includes evaluation and evidence of community impact

Please see the list of “tagged” CEL courses for 2021-2022 in the Community-Engaged Course Guide in Cornell’s courses of study at: https://courses.cornell.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=45&poid=23755&hl=community+engaged+learning+course+guide&returnto=search

Tagged CEL Courses is CALS for 2021-22 are on the course roster at:

Fall 2021 - https://classes.cornell.edu/search/roster/FA21?q=&acadGroup%5B%5D=AG&days-type=any&crseAttrs-type=any&crseAttrs%5B%5D=CU-CEL&breadthDistr-type=any&pi=

Spring 2022: https://classes.cornell.edu/search/roster/SP22?q=&acadGroup%5B%5D=AG&days-type=any&crseAttrs-type=any&crseAttrs%5B%5D=CU-CEL&breadthDistr-type=any&pi=

Criteria* for high quality CEL at Cornell draw from various sources including:

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning by Ellen Porter Honnet and Susan J. Poulsen, The Johnson Foundation

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0c35/d6a82355833089fef4414bcf9ff58b07fc23.pdf

National Society for Experiential Education

https://www.nsee.org/8-principles,

The Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) learning and development outcomes (updated in 2008)

http://standards.cas.edu/getpdf.cfm?PDF=D87A29DC-D1D6-D014-83AA8667902C480B

SUNY Applied Learning Criteria

https://www.suny.edu/applied-learning/resources/

Forum on Education Abroad

https://forumea.org/resources/guidelines/community-engagement-service-learning-and-volunteer-experiences/

The Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative Fair Trade Learning Principles (FTL) and FTL Rubric for Advancing Just Global Partnerships

The Forum on Education Abroad** has published new guidelines for Community-Engaged Learning Experiences Abroad.

For CEL criteria and a list of CEL courses see courses of study at:

https://courses.cornell.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=45&poid=23755&hl=community+engaged+learning&returnto=search

**The Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, membership association recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for the field of education abroad. The Forum provides training and resources to education abroad professionals and its Standards of Good Practice are recognized as the definitive means by which the quality of education abroad programs may be judged. The Forum’s mission is to cultivate educators who champion high quality education abroad experiences that ignite curiosity, impact lives, and contribute to a better world.

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Capacity-Building Infrastructure for Support & Sustainability

Curricular & Co-Curricular Pathways

Recognition & Rewards

Assessment, Evaluation & Research

Visibility & Communication

Mission and Vision

Leadership & Direction

Engaged College

Initiative

The Engaged College Rubric

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Engaged college initiative

JCB
CHE
AAP
CALS
ILR
Eng.
A&S
Brooks
Info Sci

Academic Initiatives

Co-leads

Monitoring, Evaluation & Research

Co-curricular student programs

Partnerships and Alumni Relations

Operations and Communications (

Engaged College Initiative

Engaged College

Leadership Team

i.e, Associate Deans

Dean

Coordinator

Advisory Board

College Units &

Stakeholders

Engaged Colleges

Einhorn Center

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Cultural Humility

Critical Reflection & Dialogue

Collaboration, Connect and Convene

Relational Trust

Lessons Learned:

A Backbone with Asset-Based, Equity Mindset�