Education Commons^™

2017-18 Student Success And Service-Learning Report, Lynn Pelco

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Institutional data across multiple academic years were used to assess the impact of undergraduate service-learning class participation on three critical student success metrics: Inclusive excellence, Degree completion, and Quality of learning. Results indicate that traditionally underrepresented student groups participated in VCU service-learning classes at expected rates given their proportion in the overall student population. Thirty-seven percent of undergraduate service-learning students were from underrepresented minority groups and 30% were Pell grant recipients. The average three-year retention rate across four matriculating cohorts of first-time, full-time undergraduate students was 84% for service-learning students compared to 70% for non-service-learning students. Seventy-two percent of undergraduate …

Diving Deep: Deepening The Intervention And Setting Strategic Vision For The Future, Christina Carter, Rebekah Holbrook, Charles Johnson

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Richmond YPQI has provided a quality improvement process since 2012, growing from 12 sites to 50. Network leads will describe efforts to respond to network participant and funder/stakeholder needs to deepen the intervention and set strategic goals for the continuous quality improvement process. This includes creating a strategic plan, impact framework and rubric to assess the readiness of an organization to participate. Additional items include advanced Methods trainings and a professional learning community. A portion of the workshop will allow participants to reflect on their networks and consider opportunities to deepen the intervention and/or set strategic goals.

First Line Of Defense: Protecting Youth On Campus, Tina C. Carter, Alyssa King

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Many institutions recognize the need for a centralized process to address the safety of youth on campus. Legislation, publicized incidents, state and national laws, and research have pushed this topic to the forefront. In an effort to educate, mitigate risk, and create consistency, the implementation of university-wide youth protection policies has become a common practice. While each campus is different, foundational components to these policies can create a cultural shift and educate individuals on their role in reporting abuse and neglect. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) launched its youth protection policy, Safety and Protection of Minors, in July 2016. The …

Mary And Frances Youth Center, Alyssa King

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The Mary and Frances Youth Center opened in 2007 on Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Monroe Park campus in Richmond. Its facilities include two private tennis courts and a number of classrooms designed for youth-centered programming and training. The youth center’s flagship program since opening has been Lobs & Lessons, a nationally recognized tennis and learning program, but it also hosts and leads Discovery summer program, which provides middle-school students with in-depth experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts and health sciences. In addition to these programs, the youth center co-manages the implementation of the Youth Program Quality Intervention, a quality improvement …

Vcu Peer Mentoring Program: 2017-18 End-Of-Year Report, Lynn Pelco

The 2017-18 End-of-Year Report provides background information on the VCU Peer Mentoring Program and end-of-year data based on evaluation, feedback and recommendations. This report also contains participant demographics, a complete cohort listing and a summary of the end-of-year feedback survey. The VCU Peer Mentoring program is part of the VCU Office of Faculty Affairs.

2018-19 Vcu Faculty Handbook, Vcu Office Of Faculty Affairs

The VCU Faculty Handbook contains information about the university, its campuses and the surrounding community.

Teaching Service-Learners To Be Designers Of Social Change, Matthew James Vechinski

Focused Inquiry Publications

This presentation focuses on teaching undergraduates to regard themselves as designers in the context of interdisciplinary project-based learning. Central to design thinking is storytelling, using narrative to reflect on scenarios and to build empathy with stakeholders. It also involves recognizing community partners as collaborators, not just as passive recipients of benefits, in order to produce truly innovative, sustainable projects that fulfill real needs and bring about change.

Why Service-Learning?, Audrey Trussell, Katie Elliott

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Data from VCU's "High Impact Practices (HIPS) Assessment Model: 2015-16 Pilot Mid-Year Report" offers three compelling reasons for why service-learning matters for student success.

2015-2016 Service-Learning Impact Measure Report, Samantha Poelstra

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The VCU Service-Learning Office distributes the Service-Learning Impact Measure (SLIM) at the end of every semester to evaluate the impact of service-learning classes on student learning. Results are used to guide professional development opportunities, as well as to further improve the quality of and recruit additional tenure-line faculty members to teach designated service-learning classes.

Different Tools For Different Tasks: Strategies For Assessing Student Learning From Civic Engagement At The Student, Program, And Institutional Levels, Lynn E. Pelco

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This presentation was given at the SCHEV Civic Engagement Education and Assessment meeting on June 9, 2017.

2015-16 Service-Learning Impact Measure Report (Infographic), Audrey Trussell, Katie Elliott

Division of Community Engagement Resources

No abstract provided.

Service-Learning Community Partner Impact Assessment Report, Jennifer Jettner, Lynn Pelco, Katie Elliott

Division of Community Engagement Resources

In the summer of 2017, VCU’s Office of Service-Learning conducted an evaluation of the impact of service-learning on community partner organizations. This assessment aimed to collect actionable feedback from partners and to inform improvements to service-learning courses at VCU that successfully address partners’ concerns. An external researcher conducted phone interviews with a representative sample of 22 community partners. Partners were asked how a specific service-learning course impacted their organization in three areas: organizational capacity, economically, and socially. Partners were also asked about faculty interactions and the likelihood of recommending the service-learning course to other organizations like their own. This report …

2017-18 Guide For Participants: Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program, Lynn E. Pelco, Cristina Stanciu

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The Peer Mentoring Program Guide for Participants provides information for both university faculty mentees and their faculty mentors to help establish and develop a productive mentoring relationship. This Guide is the handbook for the Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program, which seeks to support early career faculty members, enabling them to succeed and thrive in the academy as both scholars and educators. The VCU Peer Mentoring program is part of the VCU Office of Faculty Affairs.

Creating, Collaborating And Adapting: Implementing A Decentralized Youth Policy, Tina C. Carter, Alyssa King

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The first year implementing a new policy on campus comes with unique opportunities as well as challenges in ensuring appropriate controls and protections for minors. A decentralized policy can often highlight these barriers, but can also create space for innovation. When a policy is located in departments like human resources and risk management infrastructures designed to bolster policies and manage liability are present. For policies in non-traditional areas of higher education, the journey to a sustainable policy model requires a different approach. Virginia Commonwealth University’s policy, Safety and Protection of Minors, is located under the Division of Community Engagement, within …

The Emerging Role Of Universities In Collective Impact Initiatives For Community Benefit, Jason Smith, Lynn E. Pelco, Alex Rooke

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Universities are increasing their efforts to more clearly demonstrate their social value. This article illustrates how higher education administrators can incorporate collective impact partnerships in their community benefit strategies. The article explores two of the more familiar paradigms for community benefit—community engagement and anchor institution. Collective impact principles and practices are then presented. Finally, a case study provides a tangible example of how one university’s role in a collective impact initiative transitioned in response to the community. We end the article with ten takeaways and an invitation for higher education administrators to identify their own learning and action steps that …

Understanding And Assessing What We Accomplish With Our Community Partners, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

No abstract provided.

Cumu Annual Conference, Jennifer Early, Catherine Howard

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The VCU Division of Community Engagement mobilizes university-community partnerships that generate innovative solutions to societal challenges and prepares the engaged citizens of tomorrow; they host the CUMU Conference (Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities) annually. Students, faculty, and community partners collaborate to effect positive change in social, organizational, and economic impact. Value Propositions are created to clearly summarize the value that students add to an organization, and the relevance and distinction. This information is complied through assessment, development, and communication.

Vcu Peer Mentoring Program: 2017-18 Guide For Participants, Lynn Pelco, Cristina Stanciu

The Peer Mentoring Program Guide for Participants provides information for both university faculty mentees and their faculty mentors to help establish and develop a productive mentoring relationship. This Guide is the handbook for the Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program, which seeks to support early career faculty members, enabling them to succeed and thrive in the academy as both scholars and educators. The VCU Peer Mentoring program is part of the VCU Office of Faculty Affairs.

Vcu's Faculty Status Report - November 2017, Vcu Office Of The Provost

VCU's Faculty Status Report was presented to Faculty Senate in on November 28, 2017.

2017-18 Vcu Faculty Handbook, Vcu Office Of Faculty Affairs

The VCU Faculty Handbook contains information about the university, its campus and the surrounding community. The Handbook is not a complete guide to academics, research and other services, but is intended as a reference guide to orient new and continuing faculty to the university and provides additional sources for information. For detailed school or department information, please reach out to the specific departmental office. The VCU Office of Faculty Affairs is committed to updating the Handbook on a yearly basis.

Collaborative Instruction For Information Retrieval And Appraisal Skills In Evidence-Based Practice Models For Dental Hygiene Students., Irene M. Lubker, Joan M. Pellegrini

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Objectives:

1. Collaborate with VCU Dental Hygiene Program faculty to develop and evaluate a model of evidence-based practice (EBP) for students in didactic and clinical settings.

2. Describe how a course was modified to emphasize evidence-based practice.

3. Analyze course evaluations and student scholarly output.

Methods/Materials:

Dental educators strive to develop graduates who practice evidence-based practice and whose clinical decisions are based on current scientific research. A medical librarian was invited to assist in integrating EBP into the dentistry curriculum in 2012. To gain a better understanding of EBP in dental settings, the librarian and dental hygiene faculty attended the …

Virginia College Access Resource Study: Region One Report, Amy Corning, Kate Daly, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

This research brief shares the results of a MERC study commissioned by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and supported by Virginia 529 about college access in central Virginia. The purpose of college access providers is discussed as well the current areas of need. A list of access providers in Virginia are listed at the end of the brief.

Answering The Question, "To What End?": Building A System Of Enterprise Data Measurement To Track And Assess Our Engagement With And Impact On Our Communities, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This was presented at the Florida Campus Compact held February 8-10, 2016.

Smarter, Better, Stronger Together: Working In Community-University Partnerships, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This presentation was facilitated by Valerie Holton at Florida Atlantic University on April 15, 2016.

A Neighborhood Team Approach To Strengthening University-Neighborhood Relations, Tito Luna

Division of Community Engagement Resources

At an urban university like Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), people and programs often blend into the cultural fabric of its surrounding neighborhoods. Opportunities and challenges inevitably arise. How can a university partner with contiguous communities to develop mutually-beneficial relationships? This presentation describes how a neighborhood outreach director works closely with neighborhoods, a neighborhood liaison group, university police and the City of Richmond. Learn how various university units came together to form the VCU Neighborhood Team.

The Role Of Partnerships In Achieving The Vision: Tracking And Assessing Community Engagement, Valerie Holton, Kathleen Shaw

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This presentation was given at the Association for Institutional Research Forum in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 2, 2016.

Aspire Partner Report: Assessing The Impact Of Aspire From The Perspective Of Sustained Partners, Jennifer Jettner, Tessa Mckenzie

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the quality of ASPiRE's partnerships from the perspective of partners. In addition, this effort also gathered preliminary information about partners' perspectives on VCU as a whole and functioned as a pilot test to inform future efforts for collecting partner voice about VCU's partnerships across the university.

High Impact Practices (Hips) Assessment Model: 2015-2016 Pilot Mid-Year Report, Lynn E. Pelco, Janice Baab

Division of Community Engagement Resources

A systematic institutional assessment model was developed to investigate the impact of high impact educational practices (HIPs) on undergraduate student success at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The proposed VCU HIPs Assessment Model provides a systematic framework for assessing the impact of high impact educational practices on VCU undergraduates. Recommendations for institutionalizing the VCU HIPs Assessment Model are made.

Smashing Silos: Community Engagement Maps - A Vivo Extension, Tessa Mckenzie, Audrey Trussell, Valerie Holton, Stephen Guilford, Jonathan Deshazo

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This poster was presented at the VIVO 2016 Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Community Engagement And Regional Impact: A Review Of Systematic Data Collection Mechanisms, Valerie Holton, Jennifer Jettner

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This report provides a summary of existing and developing enterprise data mechanisms that track and assess VCU's engagement with and impact on our communities.