Board of Directors

Sue Collins President, Northeast Higher Education District Alan Cureton President, Northwestern College Andrew Furco Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, University of Minnesota Sue Hammersmith President, Metropolitan State University Jacqueline Johnson Chancellor, University of Minnesota Morris Julie Manworren Executive Director, Simpson Housing Services Inc. John O'Brien President, North Hennepin Community College Earl H. Potter III President, St. Cloud State University Paul Pribbenow (Chair) President, Augsburg College Judith Ramaley President, Winona State University Mark Zeigler President, Northwestern Health Sciences University

Staff Meghan Aanenson

Administrative and Program Manager John Hamerlinck Associate Director Lucy Marincel AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Julie Plaut Executive Director Jessica Zha VISTA Leader College Health Corps

A Message from our Board Chair Power. It isn’t something everyone feels comfortable claiming. Yet in committing to civic and community engagement, the members of Minnesota Campus Compact recognize that we have not only the capacity, but the responsibility, to co-create our reality. As we educate students, we seek to develop their courage, confidence and persistence, along with their skills and knowledge. As we build and sustain partnerships with our communities, we strive to build on the assets we each can offer to achieve our shared goals. Through this public work, we help determine the health of our democracy, our economy, our neighbors. Each college or university—and each individual within it—has power and a particular story. By coming together as Minnesota Campus Compact, we both affirm our common purposes and learn from each other; we celebrate meaningful accomplishments and reflect on how we might do even better; we leverage resources and demonstrate higher education’s public value. Here at Augsburg, we call this the work of abundance. In our shared efforts through Campus Compact, we are modeling a new way of being citizens of our democracy. While presenting select highlights from the past year, this report also invites continued engagement. Our collaborations matter, whether across sectors, across miles or across the street. Paul Pribbenow, President, Augsburg College

2010-2011 Members Augsburg College

Bemidji State University/Northwest Technical College

Bethel University

Carleton College

Central Lakes College

Century College

College of St. Benedict

College of St. Scholastica

Concordia College

Concordia University

Globe University/Minnesota School of Business

Gustavus Adolphus College

Hamline University

Inver Hills Community College

Macalester College

Metropolitan State University

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Normandale Community College

North Hennepin Community College

Northeast Higher Education District

Northwestern College

Northwestern Health Sciences University

Ridgewater College

Rochester Community & Technical College

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

St. Catherine University

St. Cloud State University

St. John's University

St. Olaf College

South Central College

University of Minnesota, Crookston

University of Minnesota Duluth

University of Minnesota, Morris

University of Minnesota, Rochester

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

University of St. Thomas

William Mitchell College of Law

Winona State University

"It is clear there are multiple benefits for universities to engage in community building, problem solving and knowledge sharing with their communities. . . Students come to St. Cloud State for their education, but a significant part of that education is gained beyond the perimeters of campus - learning how to live responsibly with neighbors and to make smart choices about their lives."

— Earl H. Potter III, president of St. Cloud State University and Minnesota Campus Compact

board member

"I benefitted so much from having a cohort that helps each other out, studying together. We're still friends after two years though we're now at different colleges. Participating led to my dream job too."

— Amanda Lilgreen, Normandale Community College America Reads/Counts and service-learning coordinator, former Citizen-Scholar Fellow

Over 100 low-income and/or first-generation college students at five campuses participate in the Midwest Campus Compact Citizen-Scholar Fellows program, which has a strong track record in bolstering academic performance and persistence. Students who complete the program have higher average GPAs (3.3 vs. 2.8) and stay in school at higher rates (98% vs. 72%) than non-program Pell Grant recipients at the same institutions. Participants themselves value the experience; on the last evaluation, 88% agreed that the program had a positive effect on their success as a student, and 98% reported that it prepared them for future success by developing their skills and connections.

"I came here as a freshman but felt disheartened in my third year; I felt this was a good place and I was learning a lot, but I felt disconnected and wasn't contributing much, so I considered leaving the university. . . Then I took my first service-learning course. . . It's really empowering for students to think that they can write something and have it be appreciated, have someone besides the professor listen to your thoughts and take them seriously.

— Laura Weldy, student, University of Minnesota Morris

"I am grateful that I am able to be a part of a program that allows me to make a difference in my community, while allowing me to be a student and continue my education. The SIS program has given me the opportunity to grow and share my knowledge with the St. Kate's community. Thanks SIS!"

— Alejandra Gonzalez, student, St. Catherine University

Four campuses hosted our regional forums in fall 2010 highlighting campus-community partnerships that advance student success and economic vitality.

With the addition this year of the Students in Service program, which engages 100 students at seven campuses, twice as many students are receiving financial assistance, leadership development and service opportunities, and professional and peer support.

"I have seen a strong correlation between work done in [the Cambodia Travel Study Program] and work after students are back, motivated to expand on what they’ve done in their fields of study. My experiences have given me the ability to win scholarships and pushed me to study economics and development."

— Jordan Wente, student, Rochester Community

and Technical College

Over 2,000 people from across the state and beyond participated in our professional development workshops and webinars this year. Topics included: Assessing Civic Engagement

Building Cultural Capacity

Citizenship Across the Curriculum

Engaging Men in Service

Engaging Students in Community-Based Research and Advocacy

Linking Adult Students with Community

Service-Learning and Social Justice

Service-Learning in Online Courses

Spirituality and Religious Diversity in Civically Engaged Education

Supporting Youth Success in St. Paul

Sustaining Collaborative Partnerships Between K-12 and Higher Education

Using Mobile Phones as a Tool for Civic Engagement

Workshop participants shared their own experiences and insights while learning about other models and resources and generating new ideas. Most reported gaining new skills, knowledge, connections, and intentions for action.

“I always find it incredibly energizing to have space, time and wise colleagues to discuss these critical issues.”

— workshop participant

"Asking 'what can we do with you?'--instead of coming with answers or just studying the community--is the key to building trust and empowerment." — Nathaniel Khaliq, then-president of the

St. Paul chapter of the NAACP, at the community-based research workshop

Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Both -- but research and experience show that an asset-based approach to collaborative work is most effective, so we focus on what's present, not what's missing. Campus leaders frequently remark on the value of this approach not only for their partnerships, but also for their own efforts to engage students and colleagues.

"The quality of process by which software is developed has great impact on product quality. Teams of students in my class respond to a community partner's request. They start with a vision for the software, define the objective and features, then feasibility and risk — all while periodically checking in with the client. . . . They're learning lots of technical details, also oral communication and team development. Knowing the client really benefits from this makes it meaningful." — Sudharsan R. Iyengar, computer science faculty,

Winona State University

"We can tell the difference between students that have a service-learning background and those who do not. Those that have a service-learning background know how to apply their knowledge."

— Stacy Kennedy, regional human resources manager, vice president,

Bremer Financial Services

The College Health Corps AmeriCorps VISTA program supports10 full-time VISTA volunteers at sites throughout the state. These VISTAs create, improve, expand, or create campus-community partnerships that provide low-income Minnesotans with greater access to healthcare services and health education.

IMPACT TO DATE 11,480 low-income people accessed health care 14,131 people learned from health education programs 967 people participated in "upstream" health programs 2,880 volunteers have served a total of 29,078 hours $95,325 in cash and in-kind resources generated for the partnerships

A few non-College Health Corps examples of campuses contributing to community health: Central Lakes College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Brainerd School District through which nursing students assist with K-12 student health screenings and other efforts promoting quality of life. Bethel University is spearheading the formation of a community-based coalition to address the social challenges that contribute to health inequity in St. Paul and its surrounding communities. Scrubs Camp is a summer program held on the campuses of Winona State University and Augsburg College. It offers teens the opportunity to participate in hands-on healthcare activities, learn about health-related careers, and experience living on a college campus.

Community Development We co-authored a report for the Rural Alliance for Service-Learning titled, “The State of Rural Service-Learning, ” which featured a case study about a project by Samantha Bruno (standing right), a University of Minnesota, Morris student who worked with UMM's Center for Small Towns and a group of citizens in Wheaton, to develop a downtown revitalization plan for that western Minnesota community.

Academic Success and Youth Development Our Collaborating for Change Mini-Grant program supported eight innovative student-led campus-community partnerships. One example is the “Courage to Write About Self” magazine project, led by Carleton College student Shantrice King (pictured). Carleton students mentored a group of Faribault high school girls in publishing a full-length magazine of articles, learning about various writing styles and encouraging their self-confidence.

Our two-day student civic leadership summit attracted students from 26 different campuses, mostly from Minnesota but also five other states. The vast majority reported leaving better prepared and empowered to work on the public issues that mattered most to them.

Three campuses hosted "We the People" workshops introduced over 100 students to basic community organizing skills and strategies for creating change. They left energized and eager to reach more students. Their main suggestions for improvement? Make the workshops longer, and integrate the content into classes!

"What I liked best was the chance to hear from others! To learn from their experiences, as well as finding a way to collaborate with them."

— leadership summit participant

Our events are designed to build on the knowledge that faculty and staff from different campuses offer each other and to spark the kind of focused reflection and analysis that can strengthen partnerships. New connections and collaborations often happen at multiple levels. The institutional researchers, faculty assessment leaders, and civic engagement practitioners on our Assessment Leadership Team, for example, planned the two-day workshop on assessing civic engagement, which was attended by teams from nine campuses, many of them comprised of people who had not worked together before. Follow-up visits to each campus are involving more colleagues, and feedback from all involved with shape the resources and gatherings to come. Our monthly learning circle of civic engagement practitioners from Iowa and Minnesota built a mutually supportive and easily accessible community for sharing ideas and resources. Our year-end Summit and Awards Luncheon includes a variety of sessions, recognition of outstanding leaders from around the state, and a conversation among presidents and chancellors.

Minnesota Campus Compact supported collaborative projects in Northfield and in Duluth that engaged faculty and staff from multiple campuses in service-learning to address issues around food security and/or social determinants of healthy nutrition. These projects are also intended to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The coaching circle allows you beneficial time to network and consult with colleagues in the region who understand the day to day challenges of civic and experiential education in the central Midwest. The monthly calls allow you to dig deeper into various issues, go to your campus, try out solutions, come back and assess the development a month later with peers.

— coaching circle participant

Minnesota Campus Compact is not simply an organization with a staff, Board of Directors, and member presidents. We are a network of people--all community members, as well as students, teachers, administrators, and leaders at colleges and universities and partner organizations. We come together around our common commitment to educating students and building partnerships to develop innovative solutions to pressing public issues. We advance our vision by practicing high-quality civic and community engagement; documenting and communicating its value; and providing scholarship and leadership development opportunities. Together, we educate informed, active citizens and build stronger, democratic communities--and we make the case for even deeper integration of public engagement in higher education. You can contribute to this network and these goals in a number of ways:

Share the stories and results of your civic and community engagement efforts.

Write about the questions that keep you up at night--or the experiences and insights that inspire you.

Propose, host, or help plan collaborative programs or events.

Speak up about your assets and expertise. Speak up about others' too.

Co-create a leadership team focused on an issue of interest.

Consider a tax-deductible gift to support this work.

Minnesota Campus Compact | 2211 Riverside Ave. S. | Campus Box 48 | Minneapolis, MN 55454 612-436-2080 | www.mncampuscompact.org

We want to thank these generous funders for their support in the last year.