Strategic Action Group Committee on Community Advancement
An invitation for input
Please review the following report and offer your input before April 22, 2009.
This report presents proposed "Aims" and "Actions" for possible implementation at the University of Houston. These are intended to assist UH to achieve this goal:
You are invited to review this report and offer recommendations, comments, and suggestions to the Committee at: uhstrategicgoal3@gmail.com
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DRAFT, as of March 30, 2009
The University of Houston has had a long tradition of active engagement with its community in research (for example, 37% of total research awards had a community emphasis in 2007), teaching (for example, nearly 350 faculty taught 338 for-credit service-learning courses to 12, 289 students), and service (for example, over 12,000 UH students spent nearly 2 million hours serving the community every year). In addition, UH has extensive partnerships with business/industry, the public schools, the arts, and the health sector. For the breadth and depth of its activities, UH was designated by the Carnegie Foundation in 2008 as a “Community Engaged University” in both of its categories: curricular engagement and outreach & partnerships.
The Carnegie designation added authenticity to UH’s basic goal for the Community Advancement theme: UH commits to fulfilling regional and state workforce needs while becoming the primary engine of social, economic, and intellectual development. The workforce element of the goal has led to a broadening of traditional community engagement and results in the larger concept of Community Advancement.
While it is clear that UH is a uniquely grounded and embedded university, it is also evident from the Carnegie application process that these activities are not known or publicized, and that the collective value of our involvement is not cohesive. There is no “central repository” for this information, nor is there an institutionalized infrastructure that can serve as an access point to facilitate collaborations across departments/centers/program within the institution, or between the institution and the community. The aims and action steps presented below are based on the premise that before we can realize our full potential as a community embedded institution, we must commit to developing, promoting and supporting community advancement across the campus.
Action Step C.1.(i). Develop and support a new office, the UH Community Advancement Network.
The office will provide the infrastructure and staff needed to facilitate access to existing community engagement activities and will initiate and coordinate new community-university partnerships and outreach efforts. The staff would include an Executive Director, an Assistant Director, an administrative assistant, a webmaster, and technology support.
The metrics could include surveys of user satisfaction and data that demonstrates an increase in the number and quality of community-university partnerships.
Action Step C.1.(ii). Update and strengthen the Community Resource Guide to include entries of community advancement programs and projects from all centers, institutes, departments, and colleges.
The Community Resource Guide should be comprehensive and current and should optimize the use of technology to make it highly accessible to multiple audiences. The guide should be created by the UH Community Advancement Network (see C.1.(i.)) using software that allows for self-populating and for expiration dates; and it should be organized by topical areas. (See, as an example, Arizona State University’s Community Connect website. http://community.asu.edu/). It will be important that the Community Resource Guide is promoted and marketed by both the University and the community.
The metrics could include the number of hits to the Community Resource Guide and periodic user satisfaction surveys.
Action Step C.1.(iii). Develop a web-based portal, “Find a Faculty Expert@UH,” allowing community members to identify faculty with particular expertise.
This portal will be developed by the Community Advancement Network in collaboration with colleges and departments and with the Office of University Relations.
The metrics could include the number of hits to the website, the number of faculty experts in the media, and periodic user satisfaction surveys.
Action Step C.2.(i). Compile and summarize existing information on community needs and identify areas for focus consistent with UH assets.
The UH Community Advancement Network should gather existing information (such as Chancellor’s First 100 Days surveys, Greater Houston Partnership focus group, United Way Community Needs Assessment, any workforce needs data) and work with colleges and departments to map out where UH assets align with community needs. This would become an annual activity, including distribution to the appropriate groups and individuals.
The metrics could include periodic survey of users.
Action Step C.2.(ii). Create the President’s Community Advisory Board to oversee annual needs assessment and to provide ongoing advice regarding community needs.
This group would be widely representative of both the non-profit and business sectors, and include relevant University partners.
The metrics could include a periodic survey of the President’s Community Advisory Board members to determine their satisfaction with their role.
Action Steps C.2.(iii). Identify key planning and advisory boards/committees of local/state government and organizations. Ensure and support UH representation on selected boards/committees.
There are many boards and committees that would benefit from the service of UH representatives; UH would also benefit from being directly involved. These groups include, for example, the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Technology Center, BioHouston, Texas Emerging Technology Fund Advisory Board, the Texas Higher Education Commission Task Forces, the Texas Workforce Commission, and others. For involvement with specified groups, faculty and staff need to have institutional support for time and expenses.
The metrics could include the percentage of identified groups with UH representation; the goals would be 100% within three years.
Action Step C.2.(iv). Ensure that all academic departments utilize appropriate means to assess workforce and other discipline related needs, and that they have mechanisms to respond with curricular and/or research agenda adjustments.
The Provost and Deans will need to assist the department chairs in identifying appropriate needs assessment tools and in providing guidance on how to have curricular and research agenda changes be informed by such assessments. This ought to be a formal part of the ongoing training and orientation for department chairs.
The metrics could include the percentage of departments that conduct needs assessments and curricular and/or research adjustments that meet criteria defined by the Provost’s office; the goal would be 100% within three years.
Action Step C.3.(i). Develop, implement, and then evaluate a pilot project as a model for expanding and executing new partnerships across the Houston region.
The University should identify a pilot project, such as the Ryan Revitalization Project, and ensure that it enables the interdisciplinary expertise to be applied to the project. An important component of the pilot will be the evaluation stage and the production of guidelines and best practices for high impact projects.
The metrics could include the successful implementation and evaluation of a pilot project.
Action Step C.3.(ii). Upon the completion of the pilot project (C.3.(i.)), the University should establish and support a limited number of high impact, high visibility interdisciplinary projects.
The University should determine the maximum number of projects in the above category that should be underway at any one time. It should also establish clear guidelines and criteria for selecting these projects and for evaluating them.
The metrics could include the periodic evaluation of the projects with an emphasis on measuring their positive impact on both the University and the community.
Action Step C.4.(i). Establish and support the UH Innovation Fund to support the proof-of-concept phase of UH discoveries.
This action step requires developing guidelines for the UH Innovation Fund, establishing a permanent funding source, and appointing a review committee.
The metrics could include: the percentage of discoveries initially supported by the UH Innovation Fund that are commercialized; the percentage of submitted invention disclosures for discoveries initially supported; the percentage of patents filed for discoveries initially supported; the total dollar amount of private investments secured by discoveries initially supported; the percentage of funding for UH research from corporate sources secured by discoveries initially supported; the percentage of UH spin off companies from discoveries initially supported; and the percentage of executed license agreements from discoveries initially supported.
Action Step C.4.(ii). Provide UH faculty expertise and appropriate access to spin offs and licenses to Houston companies to enable those companies to be globally competitive by developing an on-line resource guide.
It would be beneficial for companies to have access to a user-friendly, on-line resource guide (with a searchable component) so that they can easily access the intellectual capital available at UH.
The metrics could include the number of hits on thee resource guide; the number of inquiries matched to faculty expertise; the number of joint agreements executed between companies and UH that meet a corporate partner’s needs; and periodic user satisfaction surveys.
Action Step C.4.(iii). Expand the UH network of business and industrial collaborators by cultivating relationships and increasing the visibility of UH discoveries through a marketing campaign.
The marketing plan should include plans for an on-line portal, brochures, exhibit materials for technical and business conferences, and participation in those conferences.
The metrics could include the number of contacts at conferences; the number of local investor meetings that highlight UH discoveries and that result in increased investment; or the number of partnerships with economic development organizations.
Action Step C.5.(i). Create a Community-Based Learning (CBL) course designation that would be reflected on a student’s transcript.
Such a designation would be similar to the current “writing intensive” course designation. It would require the establishment of appropriate criteria and an approval process. The courses would then need to be identified in the on-line course catalog, and CBL should be a searchable field for students seeking such a course.
The metrics could include a percentage of courses with CBL designation and the percentage of students taking CBL courses.
Action Step C.5.(ii). Leverage the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) eDiscovery portal that is being developed to link students, faculty and the community to real-world projects identified by non-profit, business/industry, and other community clients and expand it to include projects specifically for graduate and professional schools.
This action step will require the real world section of eDiscovery to be launched, to be expanded to non-profit organizations and to community partners, and for graduate and professional students, and to be marketed.
The metrics could include the number of real world projects posted and the number of projects matched to faculty mentored student teams in courses or through student organizations, disaggregated by undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Action Step C.5.(iii). Develop and support a community-based Learning Curriculum Development Grant Program.
This program would support faculty wishing to add community-based learning to an existing course, to expand a current community-based learning course, or to develop new community-based learning courses. It would require the development of criteria, a source of funding, and collaboration with the Provost’s office, Deans, and department chairs.
The metrics could include the number of existing courses impacted by the number of new courses created and the percentage of students enrolled in a CBL grant supported course.
Action Step C.6.(i). Activate and energize the Community Advancement and Education (CAE) research cluster.
This will require that the CAE fact sheet, which provides cluster definition subcategories and examples, be developed for all faculty. In addition, meetings and seminars for interested faculty will need to follow once leadership for the group has been established.
The metrics could include the number of faculty actively involved in CAE; a periodic survey of faculty satisfaction with CAE; and increases in externally funded community advancement research projects.
Action Step C.6.(ii). Clarify definitions and accurately report and count gift funding, research awards, and research expenditures in research related to community advancement.
The Office of Contracts and Grants and the Office of Development will need to work together to agree upon common definitions and processes that will legitimately optimize the reporting and counting of research expenditures. This would then be reflected in a report from the President to the community and in UH submissions on research activity to external agencies.
The metrics could include increases in reported research expenditures related to community advancement.
Action Step C.7.(i). Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing campaign to publicize the depth and breadth of UH community advancement activities.
This campaign would, for example, highlight the awarding of the Carnegie designation; would publish the highlights from the Carnegie application; would provide a summary of “points of pride”; would publicize the resources available through the Community Advancement Network; would integrate community advancement activities into all appropriate existing University publications; would seek greater inclusion of UH community advancement activities in community publications; would seek to increase state, national, and international exposure; and would assist each academic department to develop a community advancement page on its website.
The metrics could include the number and frequency of local, state, national and international news stories on UH community advancement-related activities.
Action Step C.7.(ii). Develop and implement a Google Maps directory of UH community advancement partnerships, with links to key data and information.
This website would portray in map form the expansive nature of UH’s community advancement activities. See http://gis1.asurite.ad.asu.edu/AICWebsvc1/ for an example of such a map.
The metrics could include the number of times the Google Maps directory is accessed.
Action Step C.7.(iii). Develop a UH partnership designation to be given to community partners for display in their locations.
Criteria would need to be established for such a designation and a logo would need to be designed. The purpose is dualfold: to increase the pride of community groups in being a partner with UH and also to increase the public visibility of UH’s involvement in the community.
The metrics could include the percentage of community partners who prominently display their UH community partner logo.
Action Step C.7.(iv). Organize events, activities, and recognition for community advancement learning, research, and service.
These could include an annual Community Advancement Day; the highlighting of community based learning projects at the annual Undergraduate Research Day; an award program that recognizes outstanding students, faculty, mentors, and community partners; and recognition in the President’s Report to the Community.
The metrics could include participant evaluations of special events and the percentage of community based learning projects presented at the Undergraduate Research Day.
We believe that these 7 Aims and their related Action Steps will further strengthen the University of Houston’s active commitment to community advancement, leveraging the University’s intellectual assets for the benefit of the Houston region.