Section: Academics
Urban Center for Civic Engagement task force receives charge, names members
Jul 16, 2008

Metro State’s role as an “urban land grant” institution has been an underlying theme of President Jordan’s since his arrival at the College in 2005. The newly constituted Urban Center for Civic Engagement task force is expected to develop the programmatic framework for Metro State’s civic engagement with the city of Denver.

The task force was developed to clarify Metro State’s ties to the Denver metropolitan community, particularly with respect to service and outreach activities.

“Many faculty and staff are already actively engaged in these activities,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Curran, “and the benefits to both our student and to the city of Denver have been incalculable.”

“Through the task force,” Curran added, “Academic Affairs and Student Services will work jointly to learn how the members of the Metro State community are currently involved in service and outreach and to explore new ways for our community to engage with the greater Denver community.”

Vice President for Student Services Kathy MacKay, who along with AnnJanette Alejano-Steele, director of the Institute for Women’s Studies and Services and professor of psychology, co-chairs the task force, said, “This initiative makes so much sense, given our mission.”

According to its formal charge, the task force will have the following goals:

1. Develop an inventory of existing College programs and projects that serve the Denver metropolitan area and its people through direct public service and/or community engagement.

2. Capture through surveys and other methods, the full range of public service activities currently being conducted by colleges, departments, programs, special projects, as well as by faculty, students and staff.

3. Profile exemplary projects and name best practices related to public service and community engagement that can serve as models for the Denver community and college partnerships and important public service examples for the entire College community.

4. Identify critical issues, needs and opportunities that should be addressed and/or improved upon within the College’s public responsibility mission, including but not limited to enhancing the goals of research and teaching through service.

5. Assist with the development of appropriate awards and recognition to help create a culture of civic engagement and partnership with the Denver community. Students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to civic engagement through public service and/or community activities would be eligible for the awards.

MacKay said, “We know lots of people are involved in connecting the College to the community; our first step is to catalog these efforts, so we can build on them.” If you know of examples, please email them to MacKay at kamackay@mscd.edu or Alejano-Steele at alejanos@mscd.edu.

Members of the task force are listed below:

Bridgette Coble, Director, Career Services
Brooke Dilling, Director, Student Activities
Brooke Evans, Assistant Professor, Mathematical Sciences
Kelly Felice, Director, Center for Nonprofit Studies/Human Services
Theresa Godinez, Associate Director, Customer Service, Financial Aid
Sandra Haynes, Dean, School of Professional Studies
Mick Jackowski, Director, Center for Innovation
Jayne James, Associate Director, Cooperative Education/Service Learning
Cathy Lucas, Associate Vice President, Communications and Advancement
Janelle Lindsey, Director, Special Initiatives for Alumni & Enrollment, Alumni Relations/Enrollment Services
Elizabeth McVicker, Assistant Professor, Management
Anders Minter, Graduate Assistant/UCAN Serve AmeriCorps Campus Coordinator, Academic Affairs/Student Services
Cherrelyn Napue, Assistant Vice President and Alumni Association Executive Director, Alumni Relations
Hal Nees, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice & Criminology
Elizabeth Parmelee, Assistant Director, Center for Individualized Learning
David Rein, Director of Private Grants, Development Office
Rae Shevalier, Chair/Associate Professor, Sociology
Randi Smith, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Tara Tull, Assistant Professor, Human Services