About the TRUCEN 2025 Annual Meeting
Join us for The Research Universities Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) 2025 Annual Meeting—two days of action-focused discussions, networking, and coalition-building focused on advancing civic and community engagement within the unique contexts at R1 universities. The TRUCEN meeting directly precedes the Campus Compact annual conference, Compact25, which brings together over 700 community and civic engagement leaders. We hope you’ll join us for both!
During this year’s TRUCEN Annual Meeting, we will:
- Foster relationship-building and networking among members
- Prioritize deep-dive conversations over surface-level ones
- Authentically unpack the biggest challenges and opportunities facing our work
- Ground our work in the unique contexts of Atlanta and learn from leaders on the ground
- Build momentum and energy for TRUCEN going forward
Thanks to the generous support of the Emory University, registration for this event is free. Attendees will be responsible for travel and lodging.
Who should attend?
The 2025 TRUCEN Annual Meeting is open to all R1 institutions with active Campus Compact membership. We encourage 2 representatives to join us from each institution.
Want to bring more than 2 from your institution? Get in touch with Bobbie Laur at blaur@compact.org.
Logistics
Saturday, March 29
Marriott Marquis Hotel
- 3:00 - 4:00: New Member orientation and networking (this includes new individuals to TRUCEN overall and/or those attending the annual meeting for the first time)
- 4:00 - 5:30: Kick-off TRUCEN Panel featuring leaders from Emory University
A dynamic panel of Emory leaders from across campus will illuminate the biggest issues, questions, and needs for research universities committed to the public mission. The conversation will center on the intersection of several current issues, including but not limited to:- Sustaining the work through resource cultivation & systems/policy change
- Open expression and civic engagement
- Advancing the community-engaged scholarship agenda and centering community voice and knowledge in the process
- Multi-institutional community engagement across cities and regions – what it takes and what are roadblocks to overcome
- 5:30 - 6:30: Networking cocktail reception
- 6:30 - 8:30: TRUCEN welcome dinner
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Emory University
The “Deep Dive” session topics will be determined collectively in January/February through engagement with registered attendees. The TRUCEN leadership committee wants to prioritize making TRUCEN’s agenda responsive to the moment and creating space to co-create that together.
- 8:30: Depart for Emory University from Marriott Marquis (we encourage attendees to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel, there will be plenty of coffee at Emory!)
- 9:00 - 9:30: Welcome, Introductions, and Agenda Setting
- 9:30 - 11:30: Meeting the Moment: Civic and Community Engagement During Turbulent Times
During this deep-dive workshop, TRUCEN members will come together to address the most pressing issues facing our collective work. Driven by what participants said were the biggest priorities, the network will dive into the specific challenges facing the mission, what’s working on campuses in addressing those challenges, and what resources and support TRUCEN can provide. - 11:30 - 1:00: Networking Lunch
- 1:00 - 1:30: Launching of Sustained Conversation Groups for 2025-2026
- 1:30 - 3:30: Deep Dive #2
- 15 minutes: Setting the stage with a speaker who can provide context on the issue and why it matters
- 30 minutes: Lightning Session (3-4 examples of how individual member campuses are tackling/addressing this issue)
- 45 minutes: Generative facilitated discussion amongst members:
- 30 minutes: Reporting out, with a particular focus on where can TRUCEN take collective action
- 3:30 - 4:00: Closing comments
- 4:00 - 5:00: Closing Reception
- 5:00: Return to Hotel
We’ve intentionally kept Monday morning open so that TRUCEN attendees are free to either take some decompression time before Compact25 kicks off at 1:00 or to participate in one of the pre-conference workshops which will run from 8:30 - 12:30 on Monday morning.
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
265 Peachtree Center Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Campus Compact has a room block available at a reduced rate of $232 per night ($252 for a double occupancy), plus taxes and fees. You can modify and cancel hotel reservations online, as well as take advantage of any room upgrades, amenities or other services offered by the Marriott Marquis Atlanta by clicking the button below, visiting https://book.passkey.com/e/50850705, or calling 1-866-469-5475.
Room block expires on Monday, March 10, 2025.
During the Compact25 conference, several TRUCEN sustained conversation groups will be presenting their work and outcomes including:
- Expanding Metrics of Accountability is leading a Roundtable session
- Dream Lab is presenting a workshop on the variety of topics they've explored
- Supporting Equity-Focused Community-Based Research is presenting a workshop on their developed tools and resources
- Cultivating Community Voice in our Engagement Programs is leading a pre-conference workshop
Register for Compact25:
Compact25 Conference is right after!
The TRUCEN Annual Meeting runs right up against the Campus Compact annual conference, Compact25. We highly encourage you to extend your stay in Atlanta and attend Compact25!
Thank you!
We want to say a big thank you to GivePulse for their sponsorship and support in making the TRUCEN convening possible.
Thank you to the TRUCEN Leadership Committee for their work in guiding the agenda’s development:
- Neeraja Aravamudan, Director, Edward Ginsberg Center, University of Michigan
- Renee Brown, Executive Director, Center for Community Engaged Learning, and Interim Executive Director of Career Services, Michigan State University
- Laurel Hirt, Director, Center for Community Engaged Learning, University of Minnesota
- James Roland, Senior Director, Center for Civic and Community Engagement, Emory University
- Maurice Smith, Associate Director, Center for Public Service, Tulane University
- Shalom Staub, Assistant Dean and Executive Director, Center for Community Engagement, University of California Los Angeles
Questions? Get in touch with Bobbie Laur at blaur@compact.org