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The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement 2010 Documentation Reporting Form Introduction This documentation framework is intended to gather information on your institution's commitments and activities regarding community engagement. Use of data: The information you provide will be used to determine your institution's community engagement classification. Only those institutions approved for classification will be identified. At the end of the survey, you will have an opportunity to authorize or prohibit the use of this information for other research purposes. Please provide your contact information (for Carnegie Foundation use only): Name: Dr. Donna A. Gessell Title: Executive Director of Regional Engagement Telephone: (706) 864-1528 Email: email@example.com City: Dahlonega State: Georgia Institution: North Georgia College & State University Institution President/Chancellor: Dr. David Potter President/Chancellor's Mailing Address: President's Office, North Georgia College & State University, 82 College Circle, Dahlonega GA 30597 I. Foundational Indicators A. Institutional Identity and Culture Required Documentation (Complete all 5 of the following) 1. Does the institution indicate that community engagement is a priority in its mission statement (or vision)? Yes Quote the mission (vision): (705/710) North Georgia College & State University develops and educates leaders through strong liberal arts, pre-professional, professional, and graduate programs....NGCSU provides an environment of academic excellence that develops leaders who respect all people, maintain high ethical standards, continue intellectual and personal growth, and serve the community, the state, the nation, and the world. Vision: NGCSU provides education for life and leadership in a global community. It implements its vision...[through] teaching and learning innovation; educating engaged citizens; contributing to regional development; and creating an organizational culture that is a living reflection of our mission and values. 2. Does the institution formally recognize community engagement through campus-wide awards and celebrations? Yes Describe with examples: [2097/2100) Campus-wide awards and celebrations occur annually to recognize a variety of forms of community engagement. Student Affairs celebrates community engagement each fall with a Service and Volunteer Expo: in 2009 students met with representatives of 20 community organizations. Faculty Affairs hosts a Faculty Awards Ceremony, which includes the Center of Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) presenting two community engagement peer-nominated and reviewed awards: Best Practices in Service-Learning and Scholarship of Engagement. Service-learning practitioners from throughout the previous academic year are recognized, with first-time adopters having already been awarded certificates and gift cards. CTLE also showcases service-learning projects at its annual Retreat: in Fall 2009, 11 practitioners presented their projects. Staff Council recognizes community engagement during its annual White Christmas breakfast and its Chili Cookoff, both of which fundraise for community non-profit organizations. Also, the two Greek Life councils annually recognize a sorority and a fraternity organization performing the most volunteerism in the community. Students' community engagement is also celebrated in the annual Honors Day academic conference, which features presentations and poster sessions by discipline discussing various projects and their products. The Paul M. Hutcherson Outstanding Student Award selection criteria includes accomplishments in community life, exemplifying the highest ideals of citizenship. In its magazine, the university's Points of Pride recognizes campuswide achievements, including community engagement. Through its Georgia Appalachian Studies Center partnership, volunteers, donors, and friends of the Center are celebrated at its Dinner on the Grounds event. North Georgia celebrates its local community government and K-12 partners with its annual community Existing Leaders breakfast. In August 2010, the North Georgia Foundation hosted "Celebrate North Georgia," a dinner to recognize volunteer leadership among faculty, staff, alumni, and others in the region. 3. a. Does the institution have mechanisms for systematic assessment of community perceptions of the institution's engagement with community? Yes Describe the mechanisms: (2956/2960) North Georgia is well connected with its community through a variety of relationships, all of which provide valuable feedback, some more formally than others. Consultants interviewing students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members determined that feelings ran so strongly connecting the importance of community ties with the university's identity that community engagement was one of the three recommendations for positioning our institution in its 2006 Institutional Identity Report. The recommendation for "consciously claiming a 'high community intimacy/community-country focus'" was made after extensive surveys of the community, both internal and external, including individual interviews and focus groups, including local and regional community members. Before embarking on our Quality Enhancement Plan, the committee surveyed community perceptions to determine its focus. The 2008-2013 Strategic Plan implemented this recommendation to claim community, defining it to include the region/state, nation, and the world, as stated in the university's mission statement. These relationships continue to be formalized and perceptions monitored. For instance, the Mike Cottrell School of Business, through its Center for the Future of North Georgia, has formed the Mike Cottrell School of Business Advisory Council to identify economic development needs throughout the region. Before building a parking deck and other public partnership projects, the university through its NGCSU Real Estate Foundation Board conducted extensive research to ascertain Dahlonega's perceptions of its relationships, both physical and emotional, with the campus. Other campus groups that help to assess community perceptions of campus engagement include the NGCSU Foundation Board of Trustees, NGCSU Alumni Council, Corps Advisory Council, School of Science & Health Professions Advisory Board, Information Technology Advisory Board, Georgia Appalachian Studies Center Advisory Board, Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Board, Department of Visual Arts Council, and Planned Giving Advisory Council. Additionally, the institution also monitors reports of community organizations through its memberships and participation; for instance, the Dahlonega Downtown Development Authority annually awards community engagement, and in 2010 North Georgia was recognized for Investments in Major Maintenance Projects for updating the infrastructure of a building in the historic section. In the past year Forsyth County residents and Forsyth County High School juniors were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the university's involvement and potential involvement in the community. To systematize these mechanisms for assessment of community perceptions more and to optimize engagement activities, the upper administration was recently restructured to create a Vice President for Executive Affairs to include the existing Offices of Regional Engagement and Global Engagement. b. Does the institution aggregate and use the assessment data? Yes Describe how the data is used: (2083/2100) The institution uses the assessment data in planning, from the level of the Strategic Plan to partnerships, academic programs and to individual events. In addition to those named above, the Quality Enhancement Plan committee found that the community values graduates who have mastered information literacy skills, which determined our institutional academic focus. Two years of investigation by a university-led community group helped initiate the Appalachian Nurse Practitioners' Clinic on campus in 2007 and its sister non- profit Free Clinic, started by the Community Helping Place in 2008. Similarly, a community process precipitated the founding of the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center (GASC), following a yearlong exploration of surveys, community focus groups, and interviews to determine its mission and areas of focus; it continues to survey its partners and constituents, refining its mission and programs. The Mike Cottrell School of Business Center for the Future of North Georgia is planning business incubators and accelerators for the region. The Professional Education Committee, which includes K-12 educators from area schools, guides the School of Education, and their input has brought about changes in academic programs at every level to respond to educational needs. The Office of Career Services uses assessment data to improve the quality of the internship experiences, to market internship as a career-building experience to other students, and to recruit new internship sites in the region. The university is currently expanding its capacity to collect, aggregate, and use assessment data from the community to enhance its community engagement. Led by the Vice President for Executive Affairs, the process for shaping strategic planning includes a series of focus group meetings with community leaders at all levels to ensure that the planning includes "a range of activities where the university interacts with, connects, and collaborates, or 'engages' with the larger community (local, regional/state, national, global) to achieve wider benefits for all." 4. Is community engagement emphasized in the marketing materials (website, brochures, etc.) of the institution? Yes Describe the materials: (2097/2100) Engagement is a strong theme in the university's identity and strategic plan. Banners across campus proclaim "Education for life and leadership in a Global Community." Both the offices of Admissions and Cadet Recruiting feature YouTube videos stressing engagement. The Admissions viewbook features the university's values, including service to community, and the Corps of Cadets viewbook stresses "We're looking for Scholar-Athlete-Leaders to be North Georgia Cadets" and insists "You must be willing to lead others . . . evidenced by your participation in student leadership, school organizations, or community activities." The Regional Engagement website features engagement resources, including public services/continuing education and sponsored programs. Pages for student organizations, community boards, and partnerships feature engagement. The Office of Career Services promotes internships with a separate link specifically for regional employers to request interns; its postcards and flyers promote the internship program as mutually beneficial. Greek Life and Community Outreach, Regional Engagement, and Career Services jointly present a slideshow promoting volunteerism, service-learning, and internships to non- profit groups. The Honors Program touts its K-12 tutoring program. Individual academic departments market their programs as engaged with the community: the graduate programs in nursing, physical therapy, and community counseling are designed especially for rural practitioners, and business, political science, criminal justice, art marketing, exercise science, international affairs, and public administration programs stress internships. On its homepage, the Department of Physical Therapy links to its three partnerships. North Georgia Leader, the university magazine, features articles on engagement, as does The Saint, the student online newspaper. The 2009 President's Report provides engagement as rationale for giving: "For generations, we have been developing professional, civic and military leaders who skillfully serve their communities and country with pride." 5. Does the executive leadership of the institution (President, Provost, Chancellor, Trustees, etc.) explicitly promote community engagement as a priority? Yes Describe examples such as annual address, published editorial, campus publications, etc. (2027/2100) In the 2010 North Georgia Leader, President Potter states, "The 2009-2010 academic year marked the second year of implementation of our university's Strategic Plan. Our work is being guided by four strategic themes based on our leadership mission, derived from our mission designation by the Board of Regents as a 'leadership university.'...We plan to develop and extend our emphases on experience-based learning through increased internships, service learning, undergraduate research conducted by student-faculty teams, and building career-related connections between students and North Georgia alumni....Through all of these efforts, we will strive to improve our organizational capacity for service and professionalism." The same publication includes a story on the restructuring of the upper administration to create the Office of Executive Affairs "to enhance the university's programs focused on regional and global engagement." The president commented, "The reorganization will provide the university's regional and global engagements a visible and centralized organizational focus under vice presidential leadership." Recently, academic engagement plans have been developed: the internationalization plan has been published, and the undergraduate research and community engagement plans will be published in Spring 2011. Academic Affairs has also announced, in a variety of venues including New Faculty Orientation program, Faculty Senate, and Celebrate North Georgia, its focus on three key institutional initiatives: internationalization, undergraduate research, and service-learning. As part of that focus, Academic Affairs will engage in strategic panning in Spring 2011 and has created a new collaborative partnership with Regional Engagement, supporting external activities, and with the Center of Teaching and Learning to create and fund Faculty Fellows, supporting internal activities. The Faculty Fellow for Service Learning will work internally to promote service learning, in tandem with Regional Engagement. B. Institutional Commitment Required Documentation (Complete all 6 of the following) 1. Does the institution have a campus-wide coordinating infrastructure (center, office, etc.) to support and advance community engagement? Yes Describe with purposes, staffing: (2956/2960) Created in July 2007, the Office of Regional Engagement supports and advances community engagement. The Executive Director serves in an administrative position with teaching responsibilities of one course each semester. The position reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs until July 2010, when restructuring created the Office of the Vice President for Executive Affairs, who is responsible for Regional and Global Engagement. The Office of Regional Engagement coordinates the infrastructure for academic community engagement, including promoting to faculty and community members the pedagogies related to experiential learning in the community; developing community relationships and assessing outreach, partnerships, service-learning; scholarship of engagement; and promoting the scholarship of engagement. Activities include conducting faculty workshops, presenting at department meetings, and working with individual faculty to develop community engagement academic projects. To promote engagement across the campus, the Executive Director serves on campus wide committees, including Academic Activities, General Education, Graduate Council, and the Professional Education Committee. The office liaises with campus partners; those in Academic Affairs include directors of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, Center for the Future of North Georgia, Library Services, Center of Teaching and Learning Excellence, and Leadership Minor. Membership on partnership projects includes the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center Board and the Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education CORE team. Partnerships in Student Affairs include those with Residence Life, Career Services, Commuter Student Services and Student Organizations, and Greek Life and Community Outreach. The Executive Director is Faculty Secretary for Omicron Delta Kappa, an interdisciplinary honors society, and community advisor for Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity. Additionally, the Director of Public Service/Continuing Education and the Director of Sponsored Programs report to the Executive Director of Regional Engagement to collaborate on engagement efforts in the region and to identify opportunities for projects and funding. They, along with the Executive Director, develop partners within the region and participate as board and committee members in a wide variety of regional community, civic, and government organizations, including economic development boards at the Chamber of Commerce and the County, educational partners committees for regional chambers, the Career, Technology, and Agriculture Education Advisory Committee at the county high school, leadership development programs in two counties, Rotary, literacy board, and recreational trails development committees. Office of Regional Engagement staffing includes a graduate intern from the Masters of Public Administration program and two undergraduate work-study students. 2. a. Are there internal budgetary allocations dedicated to supporting institutional engagement with community? Yes Describe (percentage or dollar amount), source, whether it is permanent, and how it is used, etc. (1202/360) North Georgia spent over $864,300 in programs and initiatives in Regional Engagement dedicated to engagement in AY 2010. Public initiatives in other units (including staffing and outreach programs) cost at least $1,576,600 more. Of the estimated total of $2,440,900, $1,741,400 is temporary. The total spent on engagement in this tough budget year was over 3.4% of North Georgia's $71 million operating budget. In addition to the Office of Regional Engagement, Public Services, and a portion of the Office of Sponsored Programs, the amount includes community outreach programs through Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Institutional Advancement, including portions of our partnership programs, public programs of the Corps of Cadets, performing arts, visual arts, lecture series, and other community events sponsorships. This amount is only an imprecise estimate of the budget dedicated to community engagement; it is impossible to capture all of the campus resources used in the various individual efforts of faculty and staff who engage in service-learning, volunteerism, or partnerships in the community. Nor does the amount include in-kind contributions of facilities, volunteer services, etc. b. Is there external funding dedicated to supporting institutional engagement with community? Yes Describe specific funding: (1403/1410) Institutional engagement has proven a strong focus for external funding appeals. The Mike Cottrell School of Business established its Center for the Future of North Georgia in 2008 with a $10m endowment to facilitate sustainable economic development in north Georgia, annually funding 15 student interns in economic development authorities throughout the region. Federal Work Study funds placements in community service, with 13% of its budget last year. Applications for grants related to community engagement activities have increased, particularly in the areas of partnerships, amounting to $792,500 in AY 2010 and including the Appalachian Nurse Practitioner Clinic, the Appalachian Teaching Project, Art Exhibitions and Events, Environmental Leadership Center, Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education, and Georgia Appalachian Studies Center. This amount excludes the North Georgia Network, with its $33.5 million funding from federal stimulus funds and $2.5 million from GeorgiaOne funding. Other grants applied for include a Math-Science initiative in K-12 schools in Hall and Forsyth counties. Other sources of funding include $28,500 in individual contributions for the work of the Environmental Leadership Center and $5,000 in contributions from local businesses for the Lumpkin County High School Army Junior ROTC Program and Lumpkin County Middle School Leadership Initiative Program. c. Is there fundraising directed to community engagement? Yes Describe fundraising activities: (1399/1410) In addition to those mentioned above, our capital campaign, Living Our Values: The Campaign for North Georgia, launched last fall, all specifically makes an appeal for Community Building, "to take a leading role in regional development through partnerships for sustainable economic and community development, while partnering with community leaders to enhance the quality of life and provide educational, citizenship and career opportunities for students." The casebook designates two funds specifically for community building: service learning partnerships and regional development programs. The $1 million endowment for service learning partnerships will fund "mutually-beneficial relationships that successfully bolster the community and teach students effective academic and life lessons. The regional development programs' $10 million endowment, already realized, will create "new opportunities to partner with and support community leaders who are working to strengthen the region's economy in ways that will also preserve the special nature of the area and provide training and applied research related to key issues facing the region." Other components tying into community engagement include undergraduate research, global learning, visiting scholars, and outreach technology. Individual university advisory councils also identify fundraising opportunities focusing on community engagement. 3. a. Does the institution maintain systematic campus-wide tracking or documentation mechanisms to record and/or track engagement with the community? Yes Describe: (2599/2960) Systematic campus-wide tracking and documentation mechanisms are in place and others are in the process of being implemented. The Faculty Annual Activities Report form requires faculty to report community engagement activities as teaching, service, or scholarship, depending on its emphasis (e.g. a published peer-reviewed article would count as scholarship; service on a local non-profit organization's board as service, if it is related to the professional field). The annual Staff Employee Evaluation requires managers and their direct reports to record and review community service. The Office of Regional Engagement each semester collects information on service-learning. The Office of Greek Life and Community Outreach collects information from Greek organizations on their service projects and volunteer hours, as does the Office of Commuter Student Services and Student Organizations. The Office of Career Services tracks internships. Staff Council keeps track of its volunteer hours. The Office of Public Service/Continuing Education tracks engagement with the community, including the public use of campus facilities, for instructional, recreational, meeting, and residential purposes. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness has administered the NSSE to first-year students and seniors in 2002, 2005, and 2008 and the FSSE in 2005 and 2008, each of which provide data on engagement both in and out of the classroom, and the office has begun a key performance indicator project, which includes items related to community engagement, to measure how well the university is meeting its 2008-13 Strategic Plan. The Vice President for Institutional Advancement's office also has begun to track engagement with the community to promote North Georgia's engagement as a fundraising focus. The university's Public Private Venture program uses needs based assessment in the community to determine future building projects. The Mike Cottrell School of Business tracks its community engagement as part of its Center for the Future of North Georgia; the School of Education tracks its community engagement through NCATE-related assessment measures; the School of Arts and Letters tracks community engagement on a department-by- department basis, as does the School of Science and Health Professions. Departments use employer surveys, advisory council meetings, and needs based assessments to determine the future directions for curriculum. The Leadership Council, made up of senior administrators, formally tracks community engagement with an annual review of an overview of all of the data collected. b. If yes, does the institution use the data from those mechanisms? Yes Describe: (1562/2100) The data are used in a variety of ways ranging from continuous improvement planning at the departmental level to assessment of meeting our strategic plan goals. Tenure and promotion criteria as well as annual evaluation processes value community engagement in determining roles and rewards for employees. The data provides the basis for awards and celebrations, and it is used widely for public relations purposes, including print and media marketing, for recruitment of students and faculty and for fundraising. The institution uses a variety of data to plan its engagement within the region to provide mutual benefit in the areas of economic development, education with K-12 partners, health care, and social/cultural programs. The data provides information for the university's Public Private Venture (PPV) program, which has resulted in $150m in campus improvements including a parking deck/recreation center and the Tennis Complex at Yahoola Creek Park that are shared with the community and were funded through placements with the City of Dahlonega and the Downtown Development Authority. In Forsyth County, a PPV program renovated the third floor of the Cumming City Hall building to supply classroom space that the Mike Cottrell School of Business leases to house its MBA program. Because of data identifying common needs, the university is building a new Dining Hall and planning to build a Regional Reserve Training Facility in partnership with the Georgia Army National Guard and a Convocation Center, all of which will be available for community use. c. Are there systematic campus-wide assessment mechanisms to measure the impact of institutional engagement? Yes d. If yes, indicate the focus of those mechanisms: Impact on students Describe one key finding: (1408/1410) NSSE results from 2002 to 2008 report higher student engagement with the community. Significant applicable findings include the following: student participation in a community-based project as part of a regular course has significantly increased 9.2% for freshman and 17.2% for seniors; students who have done or plan to do a practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical experience has significantly increased 15.9% for seniors; students who have done or are planning to do community service or volunteer work has increased 21.1% for seniors. In addition to higher levels of community engagement, feedback collected by the Office of Career Services indicates that students are connecting real life experience with classroom learning to better understand the value of their education and take ownership of materials upon returning to the classroom. Understanding the needs of the community they serve, students better understand those of their own communities. And, the community better understands students, evidenced by an internship employer: "It's refreshing to work with a young man who has so much drive. We feel that he has learned a lot and his work, I believe, has been mutually beneficial. We are very interested in continuing the intern program and would like to extend our company as a resource for your students to gain practical experience in the business environment." Impact on faculty Describe one key finding: (1337/1410) Applicable significant findings from the FSSE, administered in 2005 and 2008, include the following: student participation in a community-based project as part of the faculty member's course has significantly increased for upper division students, and the idea of upper division students doing a practicum, internship, field experience, co-op or clinical assignment as being very important or important has significantly increased 15% for seniors. Faculty have embraced different ways of thinking about teaching and learning, wedding the abstract to practice, which is manifested in most programs adopting requirements for engagement in capstone experiences, including internships, field experiences, and clinical practice. Service-learning has greatly increased: when first surveyed in Spring 2008, only 9% of the faculty had ever engaged in service-learning; in Spring 2009 the total had risen to 27%. Tenure and promotion processes have expanded to recognize the value of community engagement, and the Office of Academic Affairs is placing more emphasis on high-impact best practices, including those related to engagement, especially internationalization, undergraduate research, and service-learning by creating faculty fellowships to to recognize faculty engagement and support the depth and breadth of that programming/activities. Impact on community Describe one key finding: (1408/1410) The regional community embraces increased community engagement, particularly in areas of identified need: education, economic development, health, and social/cultural opportunities. For instance, in Hall County, the World Language Academy, a public charter elementary school that hosts both a dual- immersion school and a world language academy, boasts of its teacher- development center partnership with North Georgia, the first in our region and mutually beneficial, fitting both institutions' missions. Providing increased economic development opportunities through increased internet access for the North Georgia region, the North Georgia Network partnership provides a national model for campus engagement to provide an anchor for a large multi- county infrastructure project to transform the communities involved. Since its inception, the Appalachian Nurse Practitioner Clinic has increased from two days/week serving 45 patients/month to 44 hours/week, including evening and off-site clinics, serving over 300 people, with over 250 labs performed per month. Social/cultural opportunities for engagement have included a partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, which held last year's meeting on the campus. Our largest benefactor, whose gift endowed the Center for the Future of North Georgia states "What this university does every day is connected to the quality of life in this community." Impact on institution Describe one key finding: (1396/1410) At all levels, the institution is moving forward to fulfill our mission of improved, positive relationships with our community. Assessing the impact of engagement on the community makes possible mutually beneficial projects so that we become partners in progress. Assessment revealed that the university presented its "back side" to the town, so the master plan now features structures that face both ways and welcome people into a "communiversity," including a recreation center/parking deck, bookstore, dining hall/banquet facility, performing arts center, and art museum. Other projects provide infrastructure for both entities, including tennis courts as part of the county park complex, baseball and softball stadiums, and the library-technology center. Future projects with use for both the university and the community include a convocation center and regional Reserve training facility. Likewise, internal partnerships have grown around engagement to benefit multiple partners both external and internal. For instance, the Office of Regional Engagement works with members of the Office of Advancement to identify existing and potential engagement projects to publicize community engagement and to pursue fundraising opportunities among alumni, grant makers, and other donors within the community. Our community literally sees concrete evidence of our strengthened community relationships. e. Does the institution use the data from the assessment mechanisms? Yes Describe: (2097/2100) The data are used to improve co-curricular and curricular programs. Student Affairs has increased its focus on community engagement: the Office of Commuter Student Services and Student Organizations has expanded its Service and Volunteer Expo and its assessment of student group engagement, as has the Office of Greek Life and Community Outreach, which has expanded its work with Residence Advisors and their programming through the Office of Student Life. From assessment feedback, the Office of Greek Life and Community Outreach changed its name last spring after discovering that its previous name, Community Service, carried punitive associations. The Fall Student Convocation focuses on community engagement, featuring presentations by engaged students and give-aways of t-shirts with engagement themes. Academic departments each employ extensive and rigorous assessment systems of student learning, course review, and instructor and program evaluation. For instance, the School of Education (SOE) faculty participate in an annual retreat to review assessment data and develop program and course modifications, such as the development of master's program in school improvement. Program changes also are precipitated by faculty involvement in field activities of students, particularly in settings where students have extensive and innovative field placements in teaching roles for extended periods, far beyond the state requirements for regular practice teaching. For example, several senior Early Childhood/Special Education majors are in yearlong placements at the World Language Academy (WLA) in Hall County, a placement emerging from an initial partnership with WLA in which SOE faculty members taught education classes on site and served as site-based supervisors. Reviewing assessment with the WLA faculty and staff, it was determined that our students and faculty, as well as the students and faculty of WLA, would have a much more productive and rewarding experience if our students were placed at the school all day for the entire year, realizing a 50% increase in practice teaching. 4. Is community engagement defined and planned for in the strategic plans of the institution? Yes Describe and quote: (2471/1410) The 2008-2013 Strategic Plan is organized around four strategic themes, two of which directly address community engagement. "Leadership in educating engaged citizens" includes Strategic Direction 2.1 "Sustain and enhance Corps of Cadets as a signature leadership and service program" with the action to "Enhance transferability of the Corps experience to citizenship" and Strategic Direction 2.2 "Promote community engagement and development" calls to "Expand service-learning and experiential learning opportunities, international experiences, and leadership programs; Build knowledge base for civic engagement and information literacy; Develop structures and strategies for faculty, staff, and community involvement in support of student engagement; Support student organizations that foster engaged citizenship; and Connect North Georgia's Student Learning Outcomes to citizenship issues." The third strategic theme also directly addresses engagement: Leadership in Regional Development. Strategic directions include "3.1 Enhance university activities, programs and services to advance regional engagement and development" with strategic actions "Enrich the quality of regional cultural and social life; Expand university-based research and development in support of regional enterprises; and Establish programs and partnerships in support of economic development"; and 3.2 "Establish public-private and public-public educational partnerships that benefit both the university and the region" with strategic actions "Strengthen engagement between the university and regional K-12 partners; Collaborate with other higher education organizations to provide a regional structure for post- secondary/post-graduate education; Increase continuing education offerings and service outreach programs for local residents." Other parts of the Strategic Plan also address community engagement, including sections under the first strategic theme "Leadership in Innovative Teaching and Learning," to "Increase student opportunities for multiple and varied learning experiences," by "Extend[ing] learning focus from classroom to other venues (library, community, residence hall, distance education, internship)" and "Establish[ing] co-curricular and residential programs that provide life learning experiences." Another strategic direction is to "Institutionalize undergraduate research" which includes "Build collaborative participation across disciplines and with external partners." 5. Does the institution provide professional development support for faculty and/or staff who engage with community? Yes Describe: (2070/2100) In 2008, the university sent the Executive Director for Regional Engagement to the Engagement Academy, hosted by Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement. For three of the past four years, representatives from the university have attended the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education. Likewise, we have participated in regional Campus Compact conferences, making presentations and working to establish a Georgia chapter. Faculty in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice regularly attend American Democracy Project conferences. And, university representatives participated in the AAC&U "Greater Expectations" Institute in 2006 to focus on educating our students to become better citizens and to engage them in the community through first-year experience. Annually, faculty and staff members participate in Leadership Lumpkin and Leadership Forsyth, affiliated with chambers of commerce to promote the development of local community leadership skills. Likewise, two faculty and staff members participated in the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, a program that educates civic leaders about regional issues related to economic development while fostering professional relationships among participants. The university hosted the Appalachian Studies Association's international conference, "Engaging Communities," and over one hundred university faculty and staff members attended. The Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence provides on-campus professional development connected to engagement, including seminars on developing service-learning courses, using the VALUE rubric for Community Civic engagement, and pursuing the scholarship of engagement. Public Services/Continuing Education staff attend the annual Learning Resource Network (LERN) conference for providers of lifelong learning programs. Also, they provide professional development seminars for faculty and staff, to upgrade skills for more effective engagement. 6. Does the community have a "voice" or role for input into institutional or departmental planning for community engagement? Yes Describe: (1955/2100) The process for developing the 2008-2013 Strategic Plan included opportunities for community feedback, including its community engagement strategic actions. Similarly, the development of the university's master plan focused on community perceptions of the institution's engagement with the community, and the plan reflects the university's commitment to enhance ties with the community through public and private partnerships. Regularly, administrators meet with the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents and government representatives at the local, state, and national levels to assess our engagement with our community. Because of the institution's designation as the Military College of Georgia, we regularly seek input from the military community. During the formulation of our Quality Enhancement Plan, the committee held community focus groups to determine perceptions of gaps in our curriculum to serve the community. Annually, an existing leaders breakfast is held to encourage input on engagement from local community leaders. Across the campus, various boards and advisory committees, made up of community members, seek input on the institution's engagement with the community. Public Service/Continuing Education analyzes public input to make decisions about course offerings for professional development and personal enrichment. At the School level, the Mike Cottrell School of Business Advisory Board and the Professional Education Committee provide input for community engagement. The North Georgia Network partnership is a collaboration of representatives from the university, eleven counties, and various utility companies; public input gathered at the county and business levels drives its work. At the departmental level, the Community Arts Advisory Committee provides input to the Departments of Visual Arts and Performing Arts. These groups meet regularly and are provided multiple opportunities for input, including surveys. At this point, applicants are urged to review the responses to Foundation Indicators I A, 1 through 5 and I B, 1 through 6 on pages 1-17 and determine whether Community Engagement is "institutionalized." That is, whether all or most of the Foundational Indicators have been documented with specificity. If so, applicants are encouraged to continue with the application. If not, applicants are encouraged to withdraw from the process and apply in the next round in 2015. Supplemental Documentation (Complete all of the following) 1. Does the institution have search/recruitment policies that encourage the hiring of faculty with expertise in and commitment to community engagement? Yes Describe: (1990/2100) Because of its strategic plan, the institution ensures that each School hires faculty members who are able to meet requirements of community engagement. Specifically, applicants are sought who can engage students in "multiple and varied learning experiences." Recent hires include faculty in modern languages who lead summer intensive-language learning institutes, which have community engagement components involving native speakers in activities that promote language learning for both students and community members. Other faculty members are recruited for their experience with undergraduate research and other creative activities, including a filmmaker who is teaching classes in visual arts that require students to make films responding to a community needs assessment. New faculty in biology are institutionalizing undergraduate research by creating "discipline-specific expectations to include regional development as appropriate through projects monitoring water quality in rivers and reporting their students' research on the effects of methamphetamines to regional civic groups." Because of the direction to "promote community engagement and development" faculty are being sought who have had experience with "service- learning and experiential learning opportunities, international experiences, and leadership programs"; thus, new faculty members come with the expectation to engage the community and are reassured by the infrastructure that assists them. For instance, a business faculty member has a multi-year partnership with regional non-profit and business leaders to use service-learning to teach leadership and other skills to improve their business practices. Programs in business, health professions, and education—which the community has indicated will enhance regional enterprises and economic development—all hire faculty with expertise in community engagement because of the nature of their profession and the emphasis placed on engaged-learning in those programs. 2. a. Do the institutional policies for promotion and tenure reward the scholarship of community engagement? Yes Describe: (1963/2100) Because institutional policies for promotion and tenure are tied to our institutional mission and our strategic plan, community engagement is rewarded in all three areas considered: scholarship, service, and/or teaching. The area depends on how the individual project is represented by the faculty member. In order to be rewarded in the category of scholarship of community engagement, the work must meet both the definition of community engagement and scholarship. Our definition of community engagement is modeled on the Carnegie definition: the collaboration between the university and our larger communities (local, region, state, nation, and world) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The definition of scholarship is determined by each department based on its mission, its school's mission, and the university's mission. Individual departments sometimes also must meet professional organization accreditation criteria; for example, the Department of Physical Therapy's CAPTE accreditation criteria includes "Each core faculty member has a well-defined, ongoing scholarly agenda that reflects contributions to:...5) the identification and resolution of pressing social, civic, and ethical problems through the scholarship of engagement. In general, the university abides with Ernest Boyer's commitment to service articulated in the scholarship of engagement, as well as the other four types of scholarship—discovery, integration, application, and teaching. Finally, in order to be rewarded for promotion and tenure, the scholarship of community engagement must relate to the faculty member's profession. The policies for promotion and tenure are discussed with each candidate in workshops offered by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Center of Teaching and Learning Excellence, made available to those undergoing review for pre-tenure, promotion, tenure, and post-tenure. b. If yes, how does the institution classify community-engaged scholarship? (Service, Scholarship of Application, other) Explain: (690/710) To be considered as scholarship, the community-engaged scholarship must meet individual department's standards of scholarship. Standards vary from department to department; however, in general, the following criteria apply. If the work is presented at a regional, national, or international conference where proposals are peer-reviewed, the work counts as scholarship. Likewise, if the work is published in a peer-reviewed journal, it is considered as scholarship. Also, if the work does not meet these qualifications, but the community engagement is properly documented, it is considered as service. Likewise, it could also be claimed as evidence of high-impact teaching practices as well. b (cont'd). If no, is there work in progress to revise promotion and tenure guidelines to reward the scholarship of community engagement? Describe: (na/1410) Not applicable 3. Do students have a leadership role in community engagement? What kind of decisions do they influence (planning, implementation, assessment, or other)? Yes Examples: (2098/2100) Perhaps one of the most extensive examples of the leadership role students have in community engagement is the PSYC 1001 course, Leadership, which is required of all students completing core education requirements at North Georgia, or about 700 students each semester. The Director of the Leadership Minor directs the one credit hour course, and student leaders, who are enrolled in or have completed the leadership minor, lead individual sections. These student leaders select, plan, implement, and assess the leadership project for the entire course. They also teach the pre-planned leadership curriculum leading up to the project and ascertain that the project implementation ties practice to theory. In Fall 2009 the project was for the Dahlonega/Lumpkin County Habitat for Humanity and in Spring 2010 the project was for Hope for Haiti. Students also have leadership roles through the Office of Commuter Student Services and Student Organizations, the Office of Greek Life and Community Outreach, and Residence Life. For instance, resident advisors provide residence hall programming to include community engagement; one long-standing activity is the Halloween Trick-or Treating for community children, whose rural isolation would otherwise preclude the opportunity. Involvement, through service and engagement, is an expectation for students as individuals and in campus organizations. Perhaps the most notable role of student leadership in community engagement was the pivotal role taken by the president of the Student Government Association in the building of the Parking Deck/Recreation Center which is a public private venture program through the City of Dahlonega and the Downtown Development Authority. In its original plans, the project was to build only a parking deck; however, under the leadership and vision of the SGA president, the project was expanded to include a much-needed recreation center. The facility meets the needs of students and the community, providing parking on weekends for tourists who support the local economy and recreation facilities for the paying public. 4. Is community engagement noted on student transcripts? No Describe: (366/710) The Vice President for Student Affairs has convened a group to meet throughout the AY 2011 to recommend a program to track student community engagement so that community engagement will be noted on student transcripts. Movement toward documentation on some form of curricular transcript is supported by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the academic deans. 5. Is there a faculty governance committee with responsibilities for community engagement? Yes Describe: (880/1410) The faculty governance committee responsible for community engagement is the Faculty Affairs committee. Its purpose, as stated in the Bylaws of the NGCSU Faculty Senate, is "to review policies affecting faculty welfare." It is "composed of eight tenured faculty, with at least one from each School. The CEO of the Faculty Senate will also be a member." Four of the members are elected by the Faculty Senate and four are appointed; each group has staggered two-year terms. Because community engagement is considered to be a part of every faculty members' responsibilities, the committee deemed that it should not be singled out for special governance. Also, the Faculty Senate overall has a role in its ability to recommend policy, and especially as its CEO sits on the President's Leadership Council and participates in all strategic planning discussions and leadership decisions. II. Categories of Community Engagement A. Curricular Engagement Curricular Engagement describes the teaching, learning and scholarship that engages faculty, students, and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. Their interactions address community identified needs, deepen students' civic and academic learning, enhance community well-being, and enrich the scholarship of the institution. NOTE: The terms community-based learning, academic service learning, and other expressions are often used to denote service learning courses. 1. a. Does the institution have a definition and a process for identifying Service Learning courses? Yes Describe requirements: (1397/1410) Each semester, faculty members self-report service learning courses. The survey collects faculty name, community partner name, course number and designation, number of students participating, and brief description of the project. North Georgia defines a service learning course as one using the pedagogy of service- learning to connect class outcomes, active student learning, and community partners. Students apply theoretical constructs to real-life situations. The results are projects, products, or processes that mutually benefit learning and the needs of our community partners. Faculty members consult with the Executive Director of Regional Engagement to ensure that courses meet the definition of service learning and to transform appropriate courses to meet the needs of community partners while meeting course outcomes. Faculty members determine whether students work in groups or individually, what types of activities are assigned, and amount of the course grade determined by the project. Faculty members are encouraged to consider what student preparation is necessary for the project, including content-related, personal or social, and process-oriented. Special attention is given to provide adequate preparation within the course for students to engage in meaningful planning and cognitively challenging reflection, as well as an appropriate celebration with the community partner. b. How many formal for-credit Service Learning courses were offered in the most recent academic year? __125___ What percentage of total courses? __5.6%___ c. How many departments are represented by those courses? __13__ What percentage of total departments?_76.5%__ d. How many faculty taught Service Learning courses in the most recent academic year? _34__ What percentage of faculty? _10%____ e. How many students participated in Service Learning courses in the most recent academic year? __3938 (includes duplication)___ What percentage of students? _29.23%_ The count of formal for-credit service learning courses includes all sections because many involve different service learning projects. Faculty numbers are based on actual headcount of 344 faculty, which includes part time faculty. The number of students participating in service learning courses is the total number of students in service learning and not unique individuals. 2. a. Are there institutional (campus-wide) learning outcomes for students' curricular engagement with community? Yes Provide specific learning outcome examples: (1372/1410) Learning outcomes for students' curricular engagement parallel the NGCSU Learning Outcomes, reinforcing ways of knowing and being that characterize our graduates: The student will communicate effectively using multiple literacies and forms of expression: service-learning involves writing, speaking, multi-media, technology, and cross-cultural dialogue; will demonstrate analytic, contextual, and holistic thinking: service learning activities require the use of argument, quantitative reasoning, diverse viewpoints, problem solving, and research to help develop these skills; will engage in integrative learning: service learning helps make connections across courses, disciplines, and co-curricular activities and to make connections between liberal arts and professional fields; will reflect critically and take informed action individually as a citizen: through service- learning activities the student learns to analyze issues, to consider the role of competing values in these issues, and to contextualize them within real-life perspectives; will analyze ethical interactions in local and global communities: service-learning involves examining personal values and bases for choice, considering questions in the student's chosen filed, and participating in group decision making, and these experiences shape the student's ideas about the role of civic values in a diverse democracy. b. Are there departmental or disciplinary learning outcomes for students' curricular engagement with community? Yes Provide specific learning outcome examples: (1401/1410) Most departments include curricular engagement with the community. For example, the Nursing department has adopted the following conceptual framework that captures "the essence of professional nursing practice in a myriad of roles. The 8 Concepts foundational to nursing are: health promotion/disease prevention, communication, analytical, contextual and holistic thinking, human caring and relationships, teaching, resource management, leadership and information literacy. These 8 concepts provide umbrella concepts to capture dynamic content that nurses need for contemporary practice. An axis through all the great eight concepts is a arrow of ongoing cultural awareness and sensitivity striving for cultural competency in all our nursing practice and teaching." Political Science and Criminal Justice Department requires a capstone internship for each of its majors, including political science, criminal justice, and international affairs. For example, the criminal justice program requires a 12 credit hour experience of each of its approximately 60 majors. The internship includes linking concepts and theories learned in the classroom to a practical, real-world experience by demonstrating through a research paper the history of the agency, linking specific theories to their job duties, addressing the pertinent scholarship in the field, and recommending future changes for the organization. c. Are those outcomes systematically assessed? Yes Describe: (1388/1410) For instance, the graduate nursing program uses course outcomes in NURS 7160 Cultural Competence in the Community to assess its graduates' curricular engagement with the community: 1. Identify personal and institutional biases that contribute to dialogues of difference and may potentiate racial/ethnic disparities of care; 2. Complete a cultural assessment for either an individual or a community based upon the needs of your service learning site; 3. Prepare and implement an educational project that reflects health care needs of a cultural group adequately integrating knowledge of the group and addressing an unmet need; and 4. Contribute to addressing professional diversity issues in communicating/teaching a cultural issue to professional colleagues. Political Science and Criminal Justice assesses the outcomes of each of its internships. Outcomes for CRJU 4485 state, Upon completion, students should be able to: 1. link classroom concepts and theories to what they experienced in the internship; 2. identify, evaluate, and use the pertinent scholarship in the discipline, linking it to their experience; 3. be prepared to gain employment in the various fields of criminal justice; and 4. understand future trends pertaining to their chosen career field." Students are assessed based upon weekly reports from their supervisor, weekly journal entries, and a major research paper. d. If yes, how is the assessment data used? Describe: (1388/1410) Assessment data are used to improve the quality of engagement experiences, the course, and the program. Specifically, students in NURS 7160: Cultural Competence in the Community must earn an A or B in the course in order to pass it, and the course must be completed to earn a masters of science in nursing. The outcomes validate that the student has developed a sense of cultural competence, and each student is given feedback on their experience, as represented through a paper (some of which have been submitted for publication), portfolio, and presentation, using the rubric of a cultural competence model. Each student has chosen a site based on its difference in culture from his or her own, so that cultural competence can be assessed. The Presentation and Celebration Day includes student presentations, awards, and reflections, in addition to a luncheon; the event involves campus administrators and community partners, who are also invited to contribute to the process of continuous improvement. In Political Science and Criminal Justice, evaluation of assessment data has led to a complete overhaul of internship requirements for the course, including the increased use of technology in students' documentation and evaluation of the experience as well as higher expectations for theoretical underpinning of the experience with peer-reviewed literature related to the profession. 3. a. Is community engagement integrated into the following curricular activities? X Student Research X Student Leadership X Internships/Co-ops X Study Abroad Describe with examples: (2074/2100) The Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities provides incentives for student research across the campus. As part of the rubric for considering internal funding for projects, community engagement receives consideration under "significance" of project. An example is a water quality study completed by undergraduates, presented at the Georgia Academy of Science Conference, and followed up with a study to determine the host organism for bacteria contamination, so that the identification enabled the city to better remedy the problem and improve safety for visitors. Another example of student research that engages the community is "The Effects of Oscillating Energy Annual Therapy on Symptoms Associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized, Double Blinded, Placebo Controlled Study," conducted by graduate physical therapy students with patients who are residents of the region. Student Leadership is taught in a leadership course, required of all undergraduate students completing their general education courses at North Georgia; it teaches the principles of service learning and includes a service-learning project. Last year the two partners were Habitat for Humanity and Hope for Haiti. Also, minors in leadership are either civilian or military, both requiring significant community engagement projects. Internships/Co-ops depend on community engagement; in the 2010 academic year, 191 academic internships included the Department of Natural Resources, Forsyth County Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, Art Cart Studio, Georgia Mountains YMCA, Drug Enforcement Administration, Embracing Hospice, Alpha Hope Counseling, and the Dahlonega Senior Center. Study Abroad includes community engagement in its Internationalization strategic plan: to develop service-learning that engages regional heritage communities and organizations, develops international service-learning opportunities, and results in a twenty-five percent increase in international service-learning, both abroad and in international communities. b. Has community engagement been integrated with curriculum on an institution-wide level? Yes If yes, indicate where the integration exists: X Core Courses X Graduate Studies First Year Sequence Capstone (Senior level project) X In the Majors X General Education Describe with examples: (2100/2100) As discussed in II.A.3.a, all students completing North Georgia general education courses must complete PSYC 1001: Foundations of Leadership, which introduces concepts of service-learning and community engagement, including skills for planning, action, reflection, and celebration. As a result, almost 1500 students participated in service-learning, and 35 students minoring in leadership, under faculty supervision, helped guide the projects, fulfilling course credit in the process. Graduate Studies incorporates community engagement in most of its graduate programs in practicum and clinical experiences or internships. For example, community counseling requires its students to complete an applied practice sequence, requiring 100 hours of counseling practicum and 600 hours of counseling internship, with placements in the region, branding the program with a rural emphasis. In the majors, most have developed requirements for internships and all include the opportunity for internships. For example, in Summer 2009, criminal justice made 35 different intern placements in state and local agencies, all related to criminal justice, to expose students to the realities of the discipline and provide them with hands-on experience in the field. The agencies enjoy a "performance preview" of our graduates, and many offer jobs to previous interns. Although not all majors require community engagement as part of their capstone courses, several have begun to do so; for example, the senior seminar for the English with Writing Concentration degree requires a service- learning project. General Education learning outcomes encourage community engagement with one of the North Georgia Learning Outcomes: "The student will analyze ethical interactions in local and global communities." To achieve this goal, faculty provide learning experiences requiring each student to examine his or her values and bases for choice, considering questions in the chosen field and participating in group decision-making. These experiences shape each student's ideas about the role of civic values in a diverse democracy. 4. Are there examples of faculty scholarship associated with their curricular engagement achievements (action research studies, conference presentations, pedagogy workshops, publications, etc.)? Yes Provide a minimum of five examples from different disciplines: (2100/2100) North Georgia's CTLE devoted its December 2009 issue of The Teacher to the Scholarship of Engagement: "Putting Excellence Into Practice: Reflection for a New Year," P. Donat, psychology; "Foundation of Leadership Evolving Success," M. Hill, psychology; "Engaging Students through Undergraduate Research," R. Shanks, biology, and S. Lloyd, psychology; "Methods of Engagement," B. Bailey, K. Briggs, and D. Spence, mathematics; "Experiences with Wimba Classroom Student Feedback: Hints for Success" and "Service Learning," N. Henderson, math and computer science. At its September 26, 2009 Faculty Retreat, in the session "Reaching Students and Community Through Service-Learning" eleven faculty members presented their curricular engagement: C. Dockery, visual arts "ArtStream Project to Take Art to the Community"; L. Williams, English "Developing Marketing Materials for the Literacy Coalition"; D. Gessell, English "Touring Jane Austen's England"; M. Hill, psychology "Leadership and the Yahoola Creek Trails Projects"; N. Henderson, math and computer science "Making Math Manipulatives for Area Schools"; G. Izzo, business "The Business of Community Events Planning"; D. Hayes, physical therapy "Physical Activity Wellness and Seniors: A Partnership with Lumpkin County Senior Center"; K. West, biology "Going Green"; C. Robertson, psychology "Appalachian Teaching Project and Greening a Conference" and "Yoga and Walking Project"; E. Combier, modern languages "Communicating in Spanish: Expectations and Barriers"; and P. Sachant, visual arts "Art Marketing and Community Relations Building." D. Young, institutional effectiveness and D. Gessell, regional engagement led two workshops on curricular engagement achievements at North Georgia: "Transforming Campus Culture Through Integrative Learning" at the Association of American Colleges and Universities Network for Academic Renewal on October 23, 2009, and "Integrative Learning as a Pedagogy in a Changing Environment" at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges on December 7, 2009. B. Outreach and Partnerships Outreach and Partnerships describe two different but related approaches to community engagement. The first focuses on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use with benefits to both campus and community. The latter focuses on collaborative interactions with community and related scholarship for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration, and application of knowledge, information, and resources (research, capacity building, economic development, etc. 1. Indicate which outreach programs are developed for community: learning centers X tutoring extension programs X non-credit courses X evaluation support X training programs X professional development centers X other (specify) Describe with examples: (2097/2100) The planetarium and the observatory learning centers provide community programming. The North Georgia Honors Program conducts a tutoring program for local public school students. Public Services/Continuing Education programs provide personal non-credit courses and professional development: in AY 2010, 560 programs served 3180 participants (duplicated). In 547 of the programs, 2322 participants received Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Personal enrichment classes include creative activities from photography to music, courses for the Appalachian Communities Studies Certificate, and recreational courses from SCUBA to travel. The total number of programs includes 13 camp programs for 842 community youth, including band, sports, and academic-based camps. Additionally, 78 community groups held functions on campus, using classrooms, meeting rooms, dining facilities, and recreational areas. The Center for Continuing Education provides professional development courses including computer courses, business courses, and Professional Learning Units (PLUs) courses for teachers. Certificate programs include online programs for legal assistant, administrative assistant, veterinary assistant, and leadership in business as well as 6 contract training programs. Evaluation support is provided by the Environmental Leadership Center, conducting lab reports and surveys. Other outreach programs include educational programming relayed through the Georgia Public Radio station, WNGU. Writing in the community is supported by Stonepile Writers, a writing group involving faculty, staff, students, and members of the community, and our participation in and support of the Dahlonega Literary Festival, as well as the University Press of North Georgia, which has published books related to the visual arts, history, and social activism and is planning a publication of regional fiction and creative non-fiction. For eleven years, the Office of Financial Aid has offered Financial Aid nights throughout the region, and they host College Goal Sunday for anyone seeking advice in filling out FAFSA forms. 2. Which institutional resources are provided as outreach to the community? X co-curricular student service X work/study student placements X cultural offerings X athletic offerings X library services X technology X faculty consultation Describe with examples: (2071/2100) Co-curricular student service is a hallmark of North Georgia student organizations. For example, in the 2010 academic year, eleven Greek organizations reported over 12,600 hours of volunteer service hours, not including hours completed for school, discipline, or fundraising purposes. Service sites included the Adopt-A Highway litter project, PAWS Humane Society/Animal Shelter, Dahlonega Gold Museum, Achasta Southern Living Home (conducting tours to benefit the United Way, "Songwriters Under the Stars" benefit concert for the Rainbow Children's Home, Lumpkin County Schools Athletics (middle and high school concession booths), "Feeding America" Program, Lumpkin County Senior Center, Lumpkin County Elementary School "Old Fashion Day," Blackburn Elementary School "Fall Festival," and Habitat for Humanity. Work/study student placements included NOA women's shelter, Lumpkin County Head Start, Division of Family and Child Services, and Lumpkin County Geographic Information Systems project. Cultural offerings include concerts and performances on and off campus, visual arts exhibitions, the Visiting Authors series, the Hoag Lecture series, and the Great Decisions lecture series. The Great Decisions lecture series featured six North Georgia faculty members who presented in both Hall County and Forsyth County, on issues chosen by the Foreign Policy Association; over 100 community members attended the series. Athletic offerings include baseball/softball, basketball, golf, rifle, soccer, and tennis. Library services include a North Georgia Common Book program, community borrowing privileges to allow community access to our circulating collection of books and library-owned audiovisual materials, the use of the library during all hours of operation, including information, research assistance, and computers, and the use of eight meeting spaces. The North Georgia Network resulted from our partnership with the regional community. Faculty consultation is also an institutional resource offered to the community through Public Services/Continuing Education. 3. Describe representative partnerships (both institutional and departmental) that were in place during the most recent academic year (maximum 15 partnerships). Use the attached Excel file to provide descriptions of each partnership. See Google doc Partnership spreadsheet. 4. a. Does the institution or do the departments work to promote the mutuality and reciprocity of the partnerships? Yes Describe the strategies: (1621/2100) Both the institution and the departments work to promote the mutuality and reciprocity of the partnerships. Using its definition of community engagement, North Georgia promotes the collaboration between the institution and our larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. In fact, in 11 of the 15 representative partnerships, the partnership began with a single faculty member's passion for a particular need in the community, growing out of professional knowledge and developed in a collaborative partnership with community members and/or organizations. North Georgia's leadership encourages this entrepreneurial approach, understanding that well managed organic approaches based on solid relationships often result in the best return for all involved. The 4 others resulted from departmental missions, as with the Foreign Language Day and the Art Exhibitions and Events, or were in direct response to a community initiative with the university's involvement specifically requested, as with the North Georgia Network. Under the leadership of a new director, the internship partnerships have intentionally worked to promote mutuality and reciprocity. For each partnership, the institutional partner and the community partner continuously work to educate each other regarding opportunities so that they can work together to discover and implement solutions, tailored to the situation and in the best interest of all concerned. For all partnerships, the institution annually assesses progress and needs, including mutuality and reciprocity. b. Are there mechanisms to systematically provide feedback and assessment to community partners and to the institution? Yes Describe the mechanisms: (1977/2100) Each partnership has systems in place to provide feedback and assessment to its community and institutional partners. In some of the partnerships, advisory boards and councils primarily perform this function. For instance, the Center for the Future of North Georgia uses its Advisory Board to identify how it can best support the economic development of the region. To meet the identified needs, it has developed an internship program and is in the process of developing a entrepreneurial program for business incubators and accelerators, and the Non- Profit and Small Business Leadership Workshop Program provides valuable information as does the Internship Program: at every phase, the Advisory Board is considering feedback, including questionnaires, exit interviews, and phone calls. Other partnerships use the grant application process as a time for feedback and assessment. The Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education is funded annually through a standard grant process; however, with university and community representatives, it has developed an internal grant process, requiring partner high schools to assess and voice their needs to apply for funding and then present their findings on the results of the programs at the end of the grant cycle in order to be eligible for funding in future years. Other partnerships, such as Saving Appalachian Gardens and Stories and the Appalachian Teaching Project provide feedback and assessment to all partners through annual scholarly presentations. Although not as formal as a centralized database of findings for all partnerships, the varied processes are dynamic and responsive, with face-to-face activities that foster mutual agreement. Again, the university annually reviews its partnerships as part of its assessment and budgeting processes, and, as an umbrella for engagement with all community partners, Celebrate North Georgia provides academic, facilities, and military updates to its volunteers and supporters. 5. Are there examples of faculty scholarship associated with their outreach and partnerships activities (technical reports, curriculum, research reports, policy reports, publications, etc.)? Yes Provide a minimum of five examples from varied disciplines: (2025/2100) Mark Jordan and Bob Orwig, business administration, published "Service Learning: Informing the Science and Art of Leadership: Groundbreaking Research Highlights the Way to Partner with Students to Strengthen Nonprofit Leadership" in the NonProfit World (28.2); Terrie Millard and Dawn Hayes, physical therapy, along with four students published "A Comparison of the Cardiorespiratory Response of Children Using Hippotherapy and the Panasonic Core Trainer" in Pediatric Physical Therapy (22.1, 129-130); Nancy Dalman and Karrie Ann Fadroski, biology, presented a poster session, "The River Rendezvous: Using Community-Based Monitoring to Foster Integrative Learning," at the Association of American Colleges and Universities' Integrative Learning: Addressing the Complexities, in Atlanta, October 23, 2009. North Georgia hosted the Thirty-Third Annual Appalachian Studies Conference on its campus Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21, 2010, attended by over 700 participants. The theme for the conference was "Engaging Communities." North Georgia faculty who presented on their outreach and partnership activities included Chris Dockery, visual arts "Making Places: Pedagogical Implications and Educational Qualities of the Southern Highlands Craft School"; Donna Gessell, English "Integrating Community Engagement into the Curriculum"; and B. J. Robinson, English and Pamela Sachant, visual arts "The University Press of North Georgia: Dreams and Realities." Also at the ASA conference, other community engagement projects included Jo-Marie Karst, visual arts and four students presenting an interactive session "Handweaving Colonial Overshot"; Chris Dockery, Paul Dunlap, and Jon Mehlferber, visual arts presenting a panel on "Art and Community Engagement"; Chuck Robertson, psychology and Alice Sampson, education leading a discussion "Greening the ASA Conference"; and Michele Hill and Chuck Robertson, psychology along with four North Georgia students presenting a panel "Creating Green Maps for Appalachian Communities." III. Wrap-Up 1. (Optional) Use this space to elaborate on any short-answer item(s) for which you need more space. Please specify the corresponding section and item number(s). ( /2960) 2. (Optional) Is there any information that was not requested that you consider significant evidence of your institution's community engagement? If so, please provide the information in this space. (1515/2960) North Georgia has always had close relationships with its community; however, because of our current strategic plan, the relationships are even more pronounced, and the community regularly interacts with the university on a wide range of projects. For instance, the Department of Public Safety has expanded its jurisdiction to move campus boundaries into the Dahlonega community, resulting in closer working relationships with the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office and other agencies that benefit both communities. The partnerships range from backing up each other on calls as necessary to a campus officer attending the sheriff's daily briefings. Public Safety also hosted the Governor's Office of Highway Safety's kick off of the statewide HEAT campaign and was the test site for the Board of Regents' Emergency Operation Committee to evaluate University System of Georgia's public safety departments. Tourism is one of the major economic drivers for the community, and the university annually hosts the Southeastern Tourism Society Marketing College, which brings over 300 tourism professionals to Dahlonega for a week. Not only does the community directly benefit from their stay, they indirectly benefit from referrals the professionals make once home. The university made a regional economic impact of more than $300 million, including $80 million in capital outlay for construction projects, and accounted for nearly 3,000 jobs in a six-county area during AY2009, the last year for which figures are available. 3. (Optional) Please provide any suggestions or comments you may have on the documentation process and online data collection. ( /2960) 4. May we use the information you have provided for research purposes beyond the determination of classification (for example, conference papers, journal articles, and research reports), with the understanding that your institution's identity will not be disclosed without permission? (Your answer will have no bearing on the classification decision.) Yes
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Diamond ChartersRead MoreAs soon as young Ed Dickson could swim three laps in an Olympic-size pool, he earned his free time on Lake Michigan; his mother gave him a 12-foot aluminum motorboat and told him he could fish anywhere, provided he was home by sunset. Reflecting back on his childhood, Ed suspects his family ate more fish than they wanted to. Nowadays, Ed is the owner of Diamond Charters and a Coast Guard captain with more than 15,000 hours on the water, which he accumulated on Lake Michigan, the waters of California and Mexico, and in his current lake of choice: Idaho's Lake Pend Oreille. Since 1992, he has been cruising the landlocked lake for its rainbow trout, famed for growing to record-breaking sizes and skirting predators by blending into nearby rainbows. Ed also showcases the lake to his guests on fishing expeditions through Diamond Charters. On any given excursion, he steers passengers to the best fishing spots aboard his 32-foot Twin Volvo Turbo Carver yacht, outfitted with amenities that include a TV, microwave, and a set of more than 1,000 lures.47392 Highway 200Hope, ID US
ROW Adventure CenterRead MoreWhen you're rafting with ROW Adventure Center, you can float leisurely down a stretch of river, stopping to get out and swim when the mood strikes—or, you can conquer the Devil's Toenail. The oddly named segment of rapids is on the Spokane River and constitutes part of a whitewater rafting trip through the river's lower gorge. It's one of many scenic locales that the company's guides visit as part of planned day trips or multiple-day vacations. With families in tow, they navigate bike trails and bodies of water throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and other surrounding areas, planning excursions that have been lauded by National Geographic magazine. Many of their voyages take place on the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene. Here, kayaks set off on picturesque sunset journeys near the pines, and paddleboard tours split their focus between proper balancing technique and nature facts, such as which bird is most likely to mistake you for a gigantic salmon. Guides also lead fly-fishing trips on Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe, accommodating total beginners as well as the advanced anglers. For those who would rather stay dry, bike trails traverse several miles of historical and awe-inspiring landscapes. The Hiawatha Trail, for example, follows the path of the Old Milwaukee railroad across 7 trestle bridges and through 10 tunnels, including the 1.6-mile Taft tunnel. Certain trip packages even cover admission to Silverwood Theme Park, balancing the thrill of ecological exploration with that of riding roller coasters and fighting over the fastest horse on the carousel.202 E Sherman AveCoeur D Alene, ID US
Joe Roope's Castaway Fly ShopRead MoreJoe Roope, Sr., and his son have grown Castaway Fly Fishing Shop into an full-service fly-fishing shop abounding in guided trips, classes, and high-end tackle from the likes of Loop Tackle Design and Action Optics by Smith. They proudly carry locally tied flies, offsetting a selection of fly-tying materials to accompany single- and double-hand rods. Though hunkered down in scenic Coeur d'Alene, they lead fly-fishing trips in a number of area waterways, shepherding groups through Idaho, Montana, and Washington during guided jaunts down rivers such as the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Upper Columbia. They share their passion for perpetuating the wild-trout fisheries of the Inland Northwest in each of their classes, advocating responsible catch, release, and contract-signing techniques whenever dealing with fish.1114 North 4th StreetCoeur D'Alene, ID US
Spokane Valley ArcheryRead MoreA member of the United States Archery Association, Spokane Valley Archery grants bowmen plenty of room?10 acres? worth?to safely sling their arrows at a host of targets. Visitors can knock their arrows and take aim on a 100-yard practice range with targets placed every 5 yards, a broad-head range, or an 18-target, 3-D range that mimics shooting at live game or vogueing woodland creatures. Beginners can learn the sport through the Introduction to Archery class led by Level II USAA?certified coaches, who demonstrate safe use of equipment, proper technique, and standard range setup.3809 S Linke Rd.Greenacres, WA US

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What does "urban" mean?
This aerial view of Hanoi, Vietnam, clearly shows areas of decreasing density between the city and the countryside, making it hard to define the limits of the "urban" area.
In everyday usage, terms related to human settlements have vague, shifting meanings. What one person might describe as a small 'city' might be a 'town' or 'village' for someone else; one person's 'megacity' might be a cluster of cities from a different perspective. Similarly, we can usually identify areas that are clearly within a city and others that are outside it, but there is usually a peri-urban area of intermediate density that usually lies between the two, making it hard to define a clear city limit. Formal administrative boundaries may have historic or political meaning, but are rarely aligned with the physical or economic extents of the urban area.
What exactly is a city? It depends who you ask
It turns out there is no standard international definition of an 'urban' area or 'urban' population. Each country has its own definition, and collects data accordingly. The statistic that 50% of the world's population is urban is arrived at simply by adding up these incomparable, and sometimes conflicting, definitions.
Is a Data Revolution under way, and if so, who will benefit?
Guest post from the beach big Data Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, by Oxfam's Head of Research and paid up member of the numerati, Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva (@rivefuentes)
A spectre is haunting the hallways of the international bureaucracy and national statistical offices – the spectre of the data revolution. Now, that might suggest a contradiction in terms or the butt of a joke – it's hard to imagine a platoon of bespectacled statisticians with laptops and GIS devices toppling governments. But something important is indeed happening – let me try and convince you.
A new research report by ODI "Data Revolution – Finding The Missing Million" (launched yesterday in Cartagena during a Data Festival) tries to make sense of the coming data revolution, and what it means for international development. According to the authors: The data revolution is "an explosion in the volume of data, the speed with which data are produced, the number of producers of data, the dissemination of data, and the range of things on which there are data, coming from new technologies such as mobile phones and the internet of things and from other sources, such as qualitative data, citizen-generated data and perceptions data."
For the numerically minded (I proudly include myself in this group) this is a rather welcome transformation. Data, data everywhere – but then why haven't we, number geeks, solved all of the world's problems yet?
Please Steal these Killer Facts: A Crib Sheet for Advocacy on Aid, Development, Inequality, etc.
Regular FP2P readers will be (heartily sick of) used to me banging on about the importance of 'killer facts' in NGO advocacy and general communications. Recently, I was asked to work with some of our finest policy wonks to put together some crib sheets for Oxfam's big cheeses, who are more than happy for me to spread the love to you lot. So here are some highlights from 8 pages of KFs, with sources (full document here: Killer fact collection, June 2014).
The Need to Improve Administrative Data
However, in the same universe, administrative data is often ignored. Administrative data is the data collected primarily for (or as part of) implementation of specific interventions or functions. Within the government, this may refer to data as varied as that of birth and death registries; cooking gas cylinders issued; teachers' attendance or mid-day meals served. It is easy to see how such administrative data can be used in monitoring implementation—better data can help identify and plug leakages; ensure better targeting and delivery; and maintain a high quality of service delivery, among others. In fact, the quality of data is both a contributing factor as well as outcome of the quality of governance. Better data, made public in easily digestible formats can also enable citizens to hold governments to account.
Are We Measuring the Right Things? The Latest Multidimensional Poverty Index is Launched Today – What do You Think?
I'm definitely not a stats geek, but every now and then, I get caught up in some of the nerdy excitement generated by measuring the state of the world. Take today's launch (in London, but webstreamed) of a new 'Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2014' for example – it's fascinating.
This is the fourth MPI (the first came out in 2010), and is again produced by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), led by Sabina Alkire, a definite uber-geek on all things poverty related. The MPI brings together 10 indicators, with equal weighting for education, health and living standards (see table). If you tick a third or more of the boxes, you are counted as poor.
Media (R)evolutions: Internet Live Stats
New developments and curiosities from a changing global media landscape: People, Spaces, Deliberation brings trends and events to your attention that illustrate that tomorrow's media environment will look very different from today's, and will have little resemblance to yesterday's.
Internet Live Stats is a counting clock that tracks live statistics on information technology, including Internet users in the world, emails sent today, Google searches today, smartphones sold today, and how much electricity is used today for the Internet. The website is part of the Real Time Statistics Project that also includes Worldometers and 7 Billion World.
Toing and Froing in Freetown
Countries coming out of crises undergo rapid structural changes, including migration and big economic shifts. This can complicate the measurement of their progress, sometimes in unexpected ways, as we found out recently in Sierra Leone.
DIY: Measuring Global, Regional Poverty Using PovcalNet, the Online Computational Tool behind the World Bank's Poverty Statistics
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim recently announced ambitious goals to end poverty and boost shared prosperity, with a target to reduce the percentage of absolute poor – those living on or less than $1.25 a day (in 2005 PPP) – to 3 percent by 2030. The Bank, he said, will also focus on expanding opportunities for those living at the bottom 40 percent of the income or consumption distribution in each country.
How do we manage revisions to GDP?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates are some of the most heavily requested and used data published on data.worldbank.org. And as many users notice, the estimates are sometimes revised, occasionally resulting in large changes from previously published values. Why do revisions happen, what information do we publish about those revisions, and where do you find it?
What do existing household surveys tell us about gender? It depends which sector you ask
A very good panel discussion this week on Gender Equality Data and Tools at the Bank reminded me of the research we did in transport on household surveys with my friend and a World Bank colleague, Kinnon Scott. In retrospect, this work should be better advertised as it touches upon many of the points that were raised on the importance of gender-relevant data for policy. The three main questions that follow permeate t


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Riverdance Opening Night Photos
Photos from 9th February 1995 – the opening night of Riverdance – The Show at the Point Theatre, Dublin
Photos from 9th February 1995 – the opening night of Riverdance – The Show at the Point Theatre, Dublin
20 years ago on the 9th February 1995, Riverdance – The Show, the first Irish dance show ever, opened at the Point Theatre, Dublin for a sell-out five-week run, with record sales reaching over 120,000 tickets
To mark the 20th anniversary, Riverdance celebrate this landmark by making changes to the show, not only adding a brand new number but also having the show's lighting and costumes re-designed to enhance the experience for audiences old and new.
Riverdance the original seven-minute version was invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance
Trading Taps from Riverdance was performed at the Royal Variety Performance 1995 at the Dominion Theatre, London.
In 7 minutes on a Dublin stage a performance took place that shook the world of Irish music and culture…
On 11 August 1994, the RTÉ video Riverdance for Rwanda was launched to help raise money for Irish relief agencies in Rwanda. The video sold 100,000 copies in Ireland, raising over IR£230,000 for famine relief.
Four of the original Riverdancers from the 1994 Eurovision, along with their children joined in the festivities and the line on RTE's Late Late Show.
As votes were being counted around Europe, in Dublin in the Point Theatre (now the O2), RIVERDANCE burst onto the stage and took the audience by complete surprise.
20 years ago, on 30th April 1994 something extraordinary happened on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin…


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