Campus Compact is accepting nominations for up to 15 Community Engagement Professionals (CEP) to join a virtual collaborative learning and leadership cohort from January 2024 through November 2024.

Engaged Scholars Initiative Overview

The Engaged Scholars Initiative is a one-year leadership and professional development program designed to develop a diverse group of  faculty and staff who can strengthen their own critical community-engaged scholarship and lead change with their institution and communities. This new 2024 cohort will be tailored to mid-career Community Engagement Professionals who identify as practitioner-scholars. It will consist of up to 15 individuals from Campus Compact member institutions across the country who will meet virtually over the course of a year. Additionally, we will gather for two in-person retreats, monthly virtual meetings, mentorship opportunities, scholarly projects, and more.

The primary goals of ESI are to:

• Deepen participants’ commitment and ability to advance equity and full participation

• Develop and retain a diverse group of critical public scholars

• Advance scholarly objectives, including research, teaching, and/or application, of each scholar’s choosing

• Contribute to field development through a variety of opportunities that best meet their scholarly goals, institutional priorities, and/or Campus Compact network needs.

We meet these goals by:

• Enhancing participants' liberatory praxis through critical analysis of personal and field practice;

• Fostering personal and professional growth and build networks of resilience;

• Increasing the collectivist knowledge and skills of participants to challenge traditional higher education culture/practices of individualism;

• Expanding participants’ understanding of community-engaged scholarship, including knowledge of foundational scholarship and exemplary practice, as well as how to integrate into career pathways;

• Strengthening professional and personal networks by building deep relationships with peers, Campus Compact staff, and other field leaders; and

• Generating individual and collaborative work that translates the scholars’ insights into traditional outputs (e.g., academic publications, conference presentations, white papers, etc.), creative works (e.g., public art, exhibitions, spoken word performances, etc.), and educational and community resources (e.g., program evaluations, policy analysis, training materials, etc.).

Guiding values of ESI:

• Liberatory Praxis - the act, ability, or application from theory to practice of self-determination, self-actualization, and agency that challenge deficits narratives ascribed to non-dominant populations. This invites and validates different ways of knowing, reduces barriers to participation, and kindles compassion, healing, and respect for self and others which fosters their and our own liberation to challenge deficits narratives ascribed to non-dominant populations.

• Epistemic Justice: Commitment to diverse epistemologies by expanding the perspectives and types and sources of knowledge incorporated and highlighted across the field.

• Full Participation: An affirmative value focused on creating institutions that enable people, whatever their identity, background, or institutional position, to thrive, realize their capabilities, engage meaningfully in institutional life, and contribute to the flourishing of others.

• Community Building: Providing a space for organic relationships to form and creating opportunities for mentorship.

• Engaged Scholarship: The generation of new knowledge through the combining of academic knowledge and community-based knowledge, eliminating a hierarchy of knowledge and a one-way flow of knowledge outward from the college or university.

Timeline

• Call for Nominations Released: September 7, 2023

• Nominees Notified Decision: December 1, 2023

Program Calendar

• Orientation - Jan. 25, 2024, 12-1:30pm PT (virtual)

• Virtual Meeting - Feb. 22, 12-1:30pm PT (virtual)

• Virtual Meeting - March 21, 12-1:30pm PT (virtual)

• In-Person Opening Retreat - April 8, 2024 Pre-Conference session at Compact24 (Denver, CO)

• Virtual Meetings (12-1:30pm PT): May 23, June 20, July 25, Aug. 22, Sept. 26, Oct. 24

• In-Person Closing Retreat - November 2024 (Location TBD)

Cost

The cost to participate is $1000 per person. Limited scholarships are available. Participation is limited to active/current Campus Compact members.

Engaged Scholar Expectations

Scholars are expected to:

1. Attend and actively participate in every aspect of the Initiative, including virtual retreats, monthly virtual meetings, and any individual or small group collaborative or mentoring meetings.

2. Complete all required preparation (e.g., pre-readings, assessment, assigned tasks, etc.) and resulting action items.

3. Actively communicate with program directors and fellow cohort scholars throughout the experience ensuring the highest level of engagement and collaboration.

4. Pursue a scholarly project (individual or collaborative) of their choosing.

5. Submit all program reports by the due dates.

Questions

For questions regarding the 2024 CEP cohort of the Engaged Scholars Initiative, please contact Emily Phaup, Professional Development Manager, at ephaup@compact.org.