Center for Community Engagement
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522 March Street * Easton, Pennsylvania 18042 * TEL 610-330-3067/3068 * FAX 610-330-3071
Steering Committee Meeting
October 30th, 2015
Agenda
•
8:00
Coffee and bagels
•
8:30
Introductions
•
8:45
History of Community Engagement at Lafayette College
•
9:00
Strategic Planning in the form of a SCOT Analysis
•
10:15 Next steps
Next Meeting: Friday February 5th 2016 8:30 – 10:30
The next meeting of the Steering Committee is tentatively scheduled for 8:30-10:30 a.m. on
Friday, February 5th, 2016. Please check your schedules; on Friday, we’ll be asking if this date
and time will work for you.
11/27/16
CenterforCommunity
Engagement
Ini6alSteeringCommi9eeMee6ng
October30,2015
Mee6ngOutcomes
•  Gainawarenessofthehistoryandmissionof
theCenterforCommunityEngagement
•  Understandtheimportanceofauthen6c,
reciprocal,communitypartnerships
•  Iden6fystrengths,challenges,opportuni6es
andthreats
•  Iden6fynextsteps
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Agenda
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Coffeeandbagels
Introduc6ons
BriefHistory
SCOTAnalysis
Nextsteps
Whoarewe?
•  DebbieByrd–FacultyDirector
•  BonnieWinfield–DirectorofCommunity
Partnerships
•  AmberZuber–DirectorofLandisCenter
•  Go-around–Whydoyouthinkyouwere
askedtobeonthiscommi9ee?
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I
acommunityinspiredby
theMarquisdeLafaye9e
•  1824-EastonResidents
foundthecollege
•  Collegefacultyandstudents
volunteeredindifferent
areasofthecommunity
•  FastForward----1980
– 
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ServiceLearning-SafeHarbor
CommunityOutreach
LandisCenter
CenterforCommunity
Engagement
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Whataretheassump6ons?
•  Organiza6ons(evencampusones)are
complex
•  Theyarejustorganizedgroupsofpeople–
offices,divisions,units,staff,etc.
•  Disparategroupsofpeoplerarelycoalesce
spontaneouslyintoanysortofplan
Assump6ons,con’t.
•  Planninghastobedeliberate,ithastobe
createdthroughcarefulprocesses,andithas
tobeaboutworkingwithpeople–not
necessarilyjustdoingthings
•  Or,it’sthepeople,stupid….
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And……
•  Thereisno“onesizefitsall”forplanning
•  Everyorganiza6onworkswithinitsown
context
•  Challengesandsolu6onswillvary
•  KEY=processthatworksforyouover6me
GroundRules
•  Par6cipatebysharingyour
opinionsandideas
•  Helphonorschedule
•  Encouragebroadpar6cipa6on
byac6velylistening
•  Whenbrainstorming,allideas
andperspec6vesarevalid
•  Embracehumorandlaughter
•  Havefun
•  Anyonewanttoaddany
others?
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CCEMissionStatement
•  TheCenterforCommunityEngagementsupports
community-basedlearningandresearch,student
leadershipthroughserviceini6a6ves,andother
communityengagementac6vi6es.
•  TheCenterconnectsstudents,community
members,facultyandstaffthroughmutually
beneficial,sustainablepartnerships.
•  Ourgoalistopromotecri6calthinking,
experien6allearning,reflec6veservice,and
informedac6on.
FourElementsofaGoodMission
Statement
•  Amissionstatementshouldbebrief.
•  Itshouldbeeasilyunderstood.
•  Itcanberecitedbymemory(evenunder
stress).
•  Itcangivedirec6oninpriority-seong.
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ReviewStrategicPosi6on
•  Systema6clookatexternalenvironment
•  Basedonrealis6clookatinternalcapacityand
challenges
•  TypicaltoolisaSCOTanalysis
– External:Opportuni6esandThreats
– Internal:StrengthsandChallenges
•  Some6mestherearetools–demographicsor
regionaldata(city,HungerCoali6on,etc.)
SCOTAnalysis
InternalStrengths
&Challenges
•  Programquality
•  Resources
•  Staff
•  Administra6vesupport
•  Communica6on
ExternalOpportuni6es
&Threats
•  Poli6calClimate
•  Technology
•  Economy
•  Culturalforces
•  Compe66on/
collabora6ons
•  Communica6on
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SCOTInterac6ons
Internal
External
Strengths
Challenges
Opportunities
A
B
C
D
Threats
GroupAc6vity
•  Take15minutestoiden6fyexternal
opportuni6esand“threats”orjust
“challenges”
•  Wewillreportouttogethertogetafullsense
oftheEastoncommunity
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GroupAc6vity
•  Take15minutestoiden6fyinternal,college
strengthsandchallenges
•  Wewillreportouttogethertogetafullsense
ofourinternalscan
Now,putittogether
•  Quickly,focusonAandDinyourgroups
•  Canyouseesomeideasforimmediatesteps
thatare“lowhangingfruit”thatareclearlyof
mutualbenefittoEastonandstudents/
faculty?
•  Canyouseesomeideasforhowwecanplan
forchallengesinD?
•  Doesthishelpusthinkabouthowtopriori6ze
ournextsteps?
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NextSteps?
•  Deeperdiscussionoftoday’sbrainstorming
•  Setpriori6esforthenextyear?Next2years?
Next3-5years?
•  Withpriori6es,wecanstarttobuildaplan
towardachievingourthem.
–  Recrui6ngallies
–  Buildingcapacity
–  Organizingincollec6veac6on
NextMee6ng
•  February5th20168:30–
10:30
10
CCESteeringCommitteeMeeting
October30,2015
Attendees:DebbieByrd,BonnieWinfield,HannahStewart-Gambino,AmberZuber,MichelleJennings,MikeHandzo,
MichaelKiser,ScottHummel,LoriS.,GuillermoLopez,AlyssaEmilie,JimHenkel,JohnMcKnight,BrandonSardik
Introductions
BriefHistory
IntroductiontoSCOTAnalysis
Toolfororganizingthoughtstogettoconcretenextsteps,organizesintenseconversations,endupwithageneralview
ofobviousthingswecando.Donewithinourowncontext,atthismomentintimewiththoseofuspresent.Mustbe
drivenbyourmission(sincewe’renotconcernedaboutmarketshareintermsofabusinessmodel).
NotesfromSCOTAnalysis
InternalStrengths
• Great,smartstudentsinterestedincommunityengagement(2)
• Welcomingcampus
• Long,richhistoryofcommunityengagement
• Staff,faculty,administratorspassionateaboutcommunityengagement
• Landisendowmentoffundssupportingco-curricularprojects
• Supportiveleadership
• TeamofprofessionalsinCCE
• Connectionsinthecommunity
• Locatedneartheheartofthecity
• Infrastructure
• Interestin“buildingup”andmoreengagementopportunities
• Committedcorefacultyandstaff
• Constituencydevelopmentandinterestinyouthempowerment
• On-goingprogramswithNorthamptonCountyJailandissuesofreentry
• Educationalopportunitiesforstudents(conferences,POSSEevents,etc)
• 60+facultydoingsomesortofCBLR
• StronghistoryofLandisCenterandthecollegesengagementinEaston,withlong-termpartnerships
• Officeassistantinthefuture
• Institutionalbacking/infrastructure
InternalChallenges
• Transportation
• Clearances
• NostrongCBLRfacultycommunity
• Lackofincentiverewardstructureforfaculty
• Publicizingwhatwealreadydo
• Onlyundergraduateeducation
• Noeducationmajor
• Stayingfocusedonlocalissuesamidst“globaleducation”movement
• Expandingbeyondwell-intentionedwhitewomenvolunteers
• Predominantlywhiteinstitution
• Movingtowardsavision
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Movingbeyond“likelysuspects,”expandingbeyondcoregroupoffaculty
Facultystructuresandfear
Sustainablepartnerships;inandoutrelationships,determinedbyacademiccalendar
Timetomovetransactionaltotransformativerelationships
Measurement:towhatend?
Facultyrewardstructuresnotalignedwithcommunityoutreach
Awareness-internalblindspotathighestlevelsaboutthepowerofCBLR
Facultytime;timeingeneral
Enrollmentandfundraisingarefirstpriorityone;communityengagementisnotcurrentlyconsideredtobethe
pathway
Marketingandmessaging
Studentsinthe“bubble”
InstabilityofCCEStaffstructure,3-yearappointmentwithonecourserelease
DownsizingofLandisstafftocreateCCE
InternalOpportunities
• Newadministration;supportofProvost,VPCommunications
• connectionswithCommunicationsandFinancialAid
• Encouragingmorelocalparticipationfromthecommunityinthisgroupanddecisions,encouragingvoicesofthe
city
• Morefacultyengagedinteachinginthecommunity
• Work-studyjobsavailable
ExternalOpportunitiesandStrengths
• ConnectingEastoncommunitytothecurriculum,particularlyinSTEMfields
• CapitalizingonConnectedCommunities:brandingandleveragingthiswithEastonandbeyond
• Manyopportunitiestoconnectwiththecommunity
• PositivemomentuminEaston
• Mayor
• MomentuminEaston
• Plentyofmeaningfulopportunitiesforpartnership
• Passionateinvolvedcommunitymembersandorganizations
• NorthThirdStreetArtsCampus
• EastonFarmersMarket
• ConnectresearchneedsofcommunitytoLafayettefaculty/students
• Sharedinterestinissuesofcommonconcern:homelessness,hunger,poverty,sustainability,environmentalism,
etc.
• Sharpen/define/vetting/training/expectationsofinterns
• Communitybonds-senseofcommunity&cohesion
• GrowingHispaniccommunityanddiversityofEaston’sracialandethniccommunitiesingeneral
• Sizeofthecity
ExternalChallengesandThreats
• Communitypartnersstrugglingeconomically;moredemandthansupply
• Partnershipmeetingsalwaysoncampus
• Collectiveimpactimposesadata-drivenculture(opportunitytopartnerwithcolleges/universities)
• Samepeople,sameorganizations;expandinginvolvement
• Non-profitsoperatinganshoe-stringbudget;staffstretchedthin
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o Stillneedtoprovidemeaningfuleducationexperiences
o Interns/volunteersaresometimesmoreharmfulthangood
WestWardfocusandrelativeneglectofSouthSide
UnitedWayfundsbeingdirectedtoK-3literacyinitiatives
Lackofcollaborativepartnerships
Lackoffunding
Organizationalinstability
Reducedstaff
Act153
Communitybondsamongresidentsandneighborhoods;feelingasenseofcommunity
Languagebarrier
Homelessness
Crime&drugsintheWestWard
Funding-WestWarduncertainty
SometimeslackoftrustbetweenEastonandLafayette
One-waypartnership-thecollegegivestothecity;CollegeHillperceivedasnothavinganyneedforhelpor
support(businessesonCatell,etc.)
PerceptionandstigmaofEaston