The University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), like many other Land-Grant University, has fostered an ecosystem in which teaching, research, and extension intersect. At the heart of this intersection is the idea of community-university engagement and co-creating opportunities which benefit communities and Extension, the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources, or University of Nebraska.
In 2020, UNL sought to amplify its community-university engagement efforts and specifically included engagement into its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. One of the six aims of the strategic plan focused on broadening Nebraska's engagement in community, industry and global partnerships. Some of the strategies outlined for this aim included (1) expanding student engagement opportunities; (2) establishing a stronger connection with stakeholder groups; and (3) pursuing the Carnegie Community Engagement classification.
You may be asking where does Extension fit into this? As so, in 2020 Nebraska Extension retooled its workforce to align with the university’s boarder goal of engagement. The District Director position was sunset, and a new position titled Engagement Zone Coordinator was started. An Engagement Zone Coordinator role is split into three parts: fostering Extension talent; developing strong stakeholder relationships; and establishing community-university engagement opportunities.
The five-year strategic plan cycle is coming to a close and UNL in partnership with Nebraska Extension has been able to make progress on the identified strategies. (1) A requirement for graduation for students is to participate in at least one course which has a student engagement experience included. (2) UNL and Nebraska Extension became more intentional on deepening connections with stakeholder groups. (3) UNL, in partnership with Nebraska Extension, applied for and received the Carnegie Community Engagement classification.
There is still so much more that can occur within the community-university space at UNL. I look forward to continuing to explore this new space and I would love to learn more from all of you.
In the comments feel free to share:
- What institute do you work for and what is your role,
- How does your institute approach it’s work with community-university engagement, and
- What role does Extension play in engagement.
Comments (0)