Why should your institution create a Civic Action Plan? How do you move your plan from words to action? Creating a Civic Action Plan has been transformational for SUNY Buffalo State College and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). The plan itself and the process of developing the plan has led to deep and broad conversations and impacts about important issues of reciprocity in community engagement, faculty and staff recognition for this work, and institutional structure and effectiveness. This webinar will provide inspiration and honest feedback from colleagues at Buffalo State and UNI about the initial reasons for creating a civic action plan, the process of creating the plan, the challenges encountered, and the unforeseen tremendous impact the plan has already had at both institutions. We will answer your questions about the process, and encourage you to set up a framework for success through a civic action planning process. Staff from Campus Compact of New York and Pennsylvania will provide reflections on the process across other institutions and from Campus Compact.

 

Presenters:

Laura is the director of the Buffalo State Civic and Community Engagement Office (CCE). She is responsible for supporting academic, co-curricular, and institutional level community engagement efforts. Buffalo State is deeply committed to its mission as SUNY’s urban-engaged campus, and Rao leads many of the campus’ efforts to provide students with academic and civic learning opportunities connected to addressing community priority, collaborating to lead the institution’s efforts in the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities/Democracy Collaborative Anchor Learning Network, support the college’s commitment to Buffalo’s West Side Promise Neighborhood. Rao holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from Lesley University and a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Buffalo. She taught environmental and experiential youth programs for a number of years before moving into educational program administration.

 

Julianne Gassman,Director of Community Engagement & Associate Professor, University of Northern Iowa