Ithaca College

The Eastern Region Campus Compact recently announced Dr. David Harker, Director of IC's Center for Civic Engagement, as one of 12 faculty and staff selected from a highly competitive pool as 2019-2020 Engaged Scholars. The Engaged Scholars Initiative seeks to develop, support and connect leaders who can advance co-created knowledge, critically engaged pedagogies, institutional change, and collaborative action to address societal issues. More info on the program and participants can be found here.

Scholars were nominated by college and university presidents and chief academic officers. The 2019-2020 scholars represent 11 institutions from 7 states and D.C., and a variety of roles on their campus connected to civic and community engagement.

“Campus Compact is thrilled to welcome the first cohort of the Eastern Region Engaged Scholars Initiative.” said Marisol Morales, Vice President for Network Leadership at Campus Compact. “The interest in the program and the caliber and diversity of all the applicants was extraordinary. The goal of this program is to develop and support equity-minded community engaged scholars and practitioners who can shape the future of this field. I believe that we move a step closer to achieving that goal with this inaugural cohort.”  

Selected scholars will participate in an 18-month ongoing learning and leadership process which includes professional development, collaboration, and scholarship to help the individual participants and the cohort strengthen their scholarship, research, and impact. Scholars will participate in in-person and online learning opportunities, including retreats, regular meetings, and the Eastern Region Campus Compact Conference, which is taking place in March 2019 in Providence, RI.  

The Engaged Scholars Initiative is led by Campus Compact and is designed to leverage and enhance local, regional, and national knowledge, experience, and assets within the Compact network. For the inaugural program, the Eastern Region Campus Compacts is partnering with the Swearer Center at Brown University, whose thought leadership, in-kind staffing, and financial support was critical to co-designing and launching this initiative. Julie Plaut, Director of Faculty Engagement and Research at the Swearer Center and Assistant Dean of the College, Brown University, supported the development of this initiative as part of Swearer’s College and University Engagement Initiative. “The Swearer Center is thrilled to be collaborating with Campus Compact to create space for a diverse group of engaged faculty and administrators to reflect on their scholarly identities and contribute to the field of engaged scholarship. I was fortunate to convene a similar national cohort ten years ago while at Campus Compact, and among them was Mathew Johnson, now director of the Swearer Center, so launching this initiative is a personal joy as well as an important professional investment toward equity, inclusion, and transformation.”  

The Eastern Region Campus Compact includes Compacts in ME, NH, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, and DC.