Community Engagement Strategic Plan
1. Strategic Vision: Visibility
To elevate and institutionalize community engagement on campus.
Objective: Coordinate Community Engagement efforts at the institutional level.
Action Step: Facilitate the Community Engagement Coordinating Committee to maintain a centralized and coordinated discussion around Community Engagement.
Objective: Coordinate 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Reclassification Efforts.
Action Steps:
- Conduct gap analysis of the 2020 Carnegie Community Engagement Application.
- Source and organize data and other information relevant to the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Application.
- Complete the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Reclassification Application.
Objective: Expand Mutually Beneficial Partnerships.
Action Steps:
- Expand the process for tracking and documenting community partners’ needs and link our ability to address these needs over time.
- Identify and connect partnerships that leverage institutional expertise.
2. Strategic Vision: Assessment
To centralize the collection of institutional community engagement data in a publicly accessible repository.
Objective: Refine the community engagement data collection process and collect data from 90% of departments on campus.
Action Steps:
- Serve as a liaison to Institutional Effectiveness to collect Community Engagement data.
- Implement follow-up procedures with departments who have not submitted community engagement data by the established deadline.
Objective: Gather insights from individuals living in the Gulf Coast region of Florida regarding their perception of UWF as a regional, comprehensive state university.
Action Step:
- Conduct visibility/perception survey and other needs-based surveys.
Objective: Provide open access to community engagement data to increase awareness of the efforts of all departments on campus.
Action Steps:
- Create and maintain a virtual Community Engagement Dashboard.
- Maintain Community Engagement website updates.
Objective: Improve and expand ability of stakeholders to make data-driven decisions related to community engagement.
Action Steps:
- Educate academic colleges and divisions regarding the community engagement reporting process.
- Assist departments across the institution in using community engagement
3. Strategic Vision: Recognition
To strengthen UWF’s culture of support and recognition for community engagement activities.
Objective: Highlight mutually beneficial partnerships between the University of West Florida and organizations in the community.
Action Steps:
- Source reported Community Engagement data to determine Community Partners to be highlighted in quarterly Community Partner Spotlights.
- Recognize organizations in the community that make an effort to recruit UWF students and alumni through an Employer of the Month program.
Objective: Support and incentivize UWF faculty, staff, and community members for their efforts related to Community Engagement.
Action Steps:
- Host the Spirit of UWF Alumni and Community Awards to celebrate and strengthen collaboration between the University and the larger community UWF serves.
- Nominate a UWF faculty or staff member for the UWF Community Service Award on behalf of the Office of Career Development and Community Engagement.
4. Strategic Vision: Infrastructure
To identify, develop, and sustain an infrastructure that will support and advance community engagement at UWF.
Objective: Expand staffing structure to support community engagement efforts.
Action Steps:
- Research and benchmark community engagement office structures of peer institutions.
- Request expanded staffing structure to support community engagement.
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