Strategic Plan Goal Steward Progress Report

Social Responsibility and Community Engagement

Goal Co-Stewards:Dr. Larry Pan, Professor and Chair, Physical Therapy

Rana Altenburg, Vice President for the Office of Public Affairs

Year to Date:April 22, 2015

Context:

Community engaged activities are those in which you have significant and direct interaction with the community (local, regional/state, national, global). Resources are applied to address and solve challenges facing communities. These activities allow for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in the context of collaboration. Activities are conducted in an intentional manner and both parties must benefit from the outcome (definition as it appears in Marquette University’s Faculty Activities Database).

Activities in progress to advance this theme (social responsibility providing the ethical framework for community engagement) span a number of key initiatives that require deep introspection and a panoramic lens fixed outwardly. They include:

  1. Task Force on Community Engagement
  2. Carnegie Foundation’s 2015 Community Engagement Classification
  3. Community Engagement Database
  4. Community Engagement Website
  5. President Lovell’s Near West Side Initiative/CEO Symposium
  6. Block-by-Block Project
  7. Native American Community Engagement

(1)Task Force on Community Engagement

The stewards continue to coordinate efforts of the Task Force on Community Engagement and identify how the institution can more effectively measure its community impact. Following up a number of successful internal forums in 2012 and 2013 that addressed community and civic engagement, education, and public health and wellness, the stewards led a student internship discussion (April 28, 2014) to determine:

  • how the university can continue to support community placements;
  • the challenges that face internship coordinators both in the Marquette community and the community at large;
  • what best resources exist for Marquette internship placement in the greater Milwaukee community.

In the spring of 2015, the Task Force triggered work to compile evidence for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll: The award “recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.” The application will be submitted on the May 2015 deadline.

The co-stewards lead an ongoing dialogue with the Task Force about how to potentially house community engagement at Marquette to more effectively amalgamate resources to address issues such as community health, K-12 education and other priorities.

(2)Carnegie Foundation’s 2015 Community Engagement Classification

The university’s Task Force on Community Engagement began gathering data for the Carnegie application in fall 2013. Dozens of individuals from the colleges and university offices contributed information that was edited to meet the application requirements regarding word limits. The writer used the university’s strategic plan, Higher Learning Commission report, written documents and the university’s web site to verify and supplement information. In addition to a spreadsheet describing 15 university/community partnerships in detail, the final 50-page narrative document was submitted in April 2014. Marquette University received notification our successful application in December 2014.

(3)Community Engagement Database

Since the summer of 2014, the Stewards have been represented in a Core Project Team to map out how Marquette can effectively track its community service. The initial database development is complete, but testing is ongoing. The team receiveda one-year extension on the GHR grant in December of 2014 to complete all work associated with the database. If all funds are not needed for the actual database project itself, the university has approval to devote remaining funds to community engagement related initiatives. As this phase approaches completion, we will work to develop a plan for long-term (or even short-term) internal management of the database.

(4)Community Engagement Website

The stewards have surveyed more than 40 websites across the country at colleges and universities who are exemplars in community engagement. The best characteristics of each were culled from these sites. The stewards worked closely with an Office of Marketing and Communication team to developthe website: It was officially launched in January 2015 and includes:

  1. A marketing flavor that represents the strength of Marquette in this area. Examples are an At-a-Glance page to summarize Marquette’s widespread engagement, as well as an awards and honors page. Marquette “Firsts” are prominent, since they are signature projects for which the institution is known. An A-Z directory is also a part of the site for ready connections to both internal and external resources.
  2. Descriptive buttons to direct visitors to our areas of strength.
  3. An interactive map to describe clinics, internships, etc.
  4. A priority set by theCommunity Engagement Task Force that it targets “Students” as the primary visitor sector.
  5. Limited access to the data base.

The site isan important tool and continues to be updated and enriched.

(5)President Lovell’s Near West Side Initiative/CEO Symposium

An invitation to join neighboring executive leaders for breakfast and conversation in October 2014 to explore opportunities for collaboration focused on safety, housing, economic development and neighborhood identity on Milwaukee’s Near West Side was facilitated by President Lovell with the assistance of Goal Co-Steward Rana Altenburg. Community stakeholders in attendance included Aurora Health Care, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Avenues West Association, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Catholic Financial Life, Foley & Lardner, LLP, Forest County Potawatomi, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, MillerCoors, Milwaukee Center for Independence, Mueller Communications, Inc., Penfield Children’s Center, Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, Wiegand Enterprises, Ambassador Hotel, and WISN.

The traction of this meeting and the collective mission to positively impact the neighborhood was concretely realized when several business leaders joined together to form the Near West Side Partners, Inc. (NWSP). Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MillerCoors, and Potawatomi Business Development Corporation. Co-steward Rana Altenburg was elected President of the NWSP Board of Directors and continues to vigorously lead theactivities of working teams composed of membership from the five key Near West Side anchor institutions.

(6)Block by Block Project

Marquette University jointly presented with other Jesuit institution colleagues at the annual International Town and Gown Association Conference in June 2014. The “St. Ignatius Loved the Cities: Community Relations as Core Mission at Jesuit Colleges & Universities” included important property and crime data collected by Office of Public Affairs student interns on 110 blocks in the Near West Side. The data helps facilitate conversations about our neighborhood with residents, students, employers, investors, government entities, and other stakeholders.

Marquette University will again present at the International Town and Gown Association Conference this June 2015. A Near West Side focus will allow attendees to learn about howthe university convened other key stakeholders in the community to help revitalize and sustain the Near West Side as a thriving business and residential corridor.

(7)Native American Community Engagement

Deep connections in the Milwaukee area Native American community continue to be madeby Public Affairs in terms of educational programming, celebrations and pipeline building:

  • A rich slate of events for National Native American Heritage Month in 2013 and 2014 made possible with support from various university stakeholders, included a visiting roster of Indigenous dignitaries (elders, writers, filmmakers, and educators), a public mini-film festivaland aNative American Wellness Eventopen to the community.
  • Marquette University’s sponsorship of the Milwaukee Native American Literary Cooperative is an innovative cross institutional partnership that collaborates, develops and hosts programs and activities related to Native American literatures and literary arts. Under this cooperative, the prestigious Joy Harjo, Allison Hedge Coke, Gordon Henry Jr., Linda Legarde Grover, Margaret Noodin, and the 2015 Wisconsin Poet Laureate Kim Blaeser will have headlined at Marquette.
  • In the winter of 2013, Marquette University representatives were formally introduced to the Milwaukee Native educational community to discuss Upward Bound/Upward Bound Math and Science programs. Public Affairs facilitated the connections to increase Native participation in these programs. The pipeline is in place today.
  • In the summers of 2013 and 2014, Marquette programmed an intensiveone day site visit for participants in the American Indian Science Scholars Program (NARCH): NARCH is an initiative that supports academic-level biomedical, behavioral and health services research to build capacity and reduce health disparities in the Indian community.
  • The first ever Native American intern placement under the Kleczka program (see was secured at Spotted Eagle, Inc.

(aMilwaukee Native American workforce development agency). The pipeline for Native American students has continued with a 2015 spring intern placement at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center.

  • The Office of Public Affairs continues to be represented in the Indian community on working committees and boards like Spotted Eagle, Inc.
  • Pipeline engagement with Wisconsin’s Native American communities is ongoing with the commitment of the Dental School. As recently as January 2015, Marquette University was invited to visit the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. Dental School and Public Affairs representatives met with community members and leadership for a tour of the Stockbridge-Munsee Health and Wellness Center to discuss integral ways of working together.

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