Council for Community Engagement
“As a university residing in the heart of Virginia’s capital city, VCU and its community partners create a unique synergy of collaborative research, learning and service aligned with community’s challenges, opportunities and needs. Through university-community partnerships, scholarship generates knowledge with local, national and global application; learning instills a commitment to civic responsibility; and service ensures a vibrant quality of life for the Richmond region.” (VCU 2020: Vision for Excellence Strategic Plan)
VCU’s strategic plan [PDF] calls for creating a culture of community engagement across the campuses. The Council for Community Engagement assembles representatives from all academic and major support units in an effort to define, coordinate and promote community engagement activities of the university and its staff and students.
Under the direction of the vice provost for community engagement and the vice president for community outreach of the VCU Health System, the council:
- Provides a coordinating infrastructure to support universitywide interdisciplinary efforts to engage with and respond to the community.
- Promotes and supports VCU’s core mission activities of research, teaching and service as they relate to enhancing our engagement with the community.
- Enhances awareness of opportunities and achievements, and promotes involvement among university stakeholders interested in becoming engaged with the community.
Council membership
Duties of the members include:
- Contributing to the development of a universitywide plan to create a culture of community engagement as described in the VCU strategic plan.
- Facilitating the development of the unit’s engagement plan to comply with the university’s overall plan.
- Actively participating in all council functions and serving as a liaison between the council and one’s unit.
- Documenting activities and interests related to community engagement of all faculty, staff and recognized student groups within one’s unit.
- Coordinating and supporting the development of community-based learning, scholarship and service opportunities.
- Actively seeking opportunities for collaboration in community engagement with other VCU entities and with community partners.
- Disseminating information about community engagement opportunities to faculty, staff and students.
- Disseminating information on funding opportunities to faculty and staff.
Members also serve on one of the Council’s four standing committees.
More information
For more information, contact Catherine Howard, Ph.D., vice provost for community engagement, at choward@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8790.