Types of Community Engagement

Under this model, students conduct research to assess or meet community needs. Examples include:

Co-curricular Service

A student organization interviews gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) students to record their stories of treatment by medical personnel.

Service-learning

Economics students conduct a survey for the City of Benson to determine why people leave town to go shopping and what non-existent retail options or other changes would keep people in town.

Internship

A student interviews Spanish-speaking clients of the local hospital to determine how well their medical needs are being met locally.

Engaged Research

A psychology professor completes a study conducted in a multicultural psychology class about attitudes of parents toward diversity issues; she writes a report for the school, as requested, but also uses the survey data in a study for an academic journal.

Institutional Engagement

After completing a study about the best placement for a second campus wind turbine, the community is invited to a forum to learn about the research and weigh in.

Under this model, students research and write curricula to educate particular community members about social issues or needed skills. Examples include:

Co-curricular Service

A student volunteers to assist with the adult English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Morris Area Schools Community Education.

Service-learning

A political science class presents Kids Voting curriculum to K-12 students in local schools to teach about the importance and process of voting.

Internship

An education student writes a training manual for tutors at an after-school program.

Engaged Research

A faculty member in education provides tutoring services for at-risk K-3 readers, assesses the results of her methods, and writes an academic article on the project.

Institutional Engagement

Courses are routinely offered at low cost to community members who are not degree seeking when seats are available.

Under this model, students organize to respond to a community issue. Examples include:

Co-curricular Service

Students concerned about renters’ rights prepare a motion for a city council meeting.

Service-learning

A student in an interdisciplinary course focused on radical education theory plans a dialogue to determine best ways to address housing issues in Morris.

Internship

A student interns with Camp Wellstone, an agency focused on community organizing.

Engaged Research

A faculty member involved in a local human rights issue brings her research skills to the Morris Human Rights Commission and provides a context for local hate crimes.

Institutional Engagement

The Morris campus provides awards for student activists.

Projects that intentionally bring people together to build understanding across differences.

Under this model, students work directly with consumers, clients, or staff of a community agency to provide a needed service. Examples include:

Co-curricular service

University of Minnesota, Morris students tutor K-12 students in the after school program.

Service-learning

Students in creative writing courses plan and implement activities for elders and record their words in the form of found poetry to capture memories, stories, and insights for their loved ones.

Internship

An education student implements curricula in a summer program for at-risk youth.

Engaged Research

A faculty member in creative writing conducts community writing workshops and, with permission and IRB approval, uses those workshops as the basis for a study on found poetry as a tool to teach poetic line breaks and titles.

Institutional engagement

Parking for on-campus events is free of charge.

Under this model, students create a product for a community agency or its consumers, clients, or staff. Examples include:

Co-curricular service

A student volunteers to create a brochure for the Morris Senior Center.

Service-learning

A communications, media and rhetoric class produces a series of videos about historic figures in Stevens County for a display at the Stevens County Historical Society.

Internship

A computer science major creates several databases for the Land Stewardship project and trains the staff to use them.

Engaged Research

A faculty member in sociology provides Stevens County Human Services with an annotated bibliography of sources related to immigration services in rural communities. She uses this annotated bibliography as background research for a study she is conducting.

Institutional engagement

University library cards are provided to community members free of charge.

Under this model, students engage in assessing and developing ideas for developing the community in ways that are inclusive and sustainable. Examples include:

Co-curricular Service

Students living in the residence halls plan a food drive for the Stevens County Food Shelf.

Service-learning

Economics students conduct a survey for the City of Benson to determine why people leave town to go shopping and what non-existent retail options or other changes would keep people in town.

Service-learning Course

About barriers to implementing environmentally friendly household habits.

Engaged Research

A faculty member conducts a study of people who are dealing with housing crises in the region to determine how community leaders can find a solution.

Institutional Engagement

The Morris campus has a policy to buy as many products and services as possible from businesses within a 100 mile radius, and to purchase outside that radius only if the cost is twice as much or the product is not available regional.

Research that directly benefits the community by clarifying the causes of a community challenge, mapping a community's assets, or contributing to solutions to current challenges and also fits a faculty member's research agenda. In the best case scenario, faculty with research expertise work alongside community members and students on such projects. An example would be the MIEI community needing assessment.

University resources intentionally offered without undue barriers to the community. OCE can play a role in envisioning institutional engagement efforts. Examples include making Briggs library cards available for community members, making campus events accessible, and choosing to use local and sustainable businesses to supply services or goods.