2015 Summit and Awards Ceremony Rethinking Excellence in a Diverse

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Rethinking Excellence in a Diverse Democracy

2015 Summit and Awards Ceremony

Rethinking Excellence

in a Diverse Democracy

Minnesota Campus Compact supports civic engagement It might seem contradictory, but Minnesota ranks high and democratic renewal through its diverse network of nationally in both civic engagement and racial disparities. colleges and universities. We envision a state in which Our shared future depends on colleges and universities every student experiences service-learning or civic not only preparing students to be active, informed citizens engagement, graduating with a determination to of our democracy, but also intentionally supporting the contribute to the public good; and every college or success and engagement of the full diversity of university is fully engaged with its communities, working Minnesotans. Both research and MNCC campuses’ together to educate citizens, solve problems, and build experience suggest that connecting students’ learning a strong democracy. with action in communities contributes to higher retention, and done well it also develops the 2014-15 Members communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and other skills critical for participation in both public life and the Augsburg College workforce. Bemidji State University Bethel University What must we do to advance our collective well-being? Carleton College Today we will consider difficult questions, share strengths Century College to build on, and identify strategies for creating the kinds College of Saint Benedict of change that will ultimately advance our state’s quality Concordia College of life, realize the promise of our democracy, and unleash Concordia University - St. Paul the full potential of all Minnesotans. Dakota County Technical College Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Thank you to all of our members and Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies partners for the great work you already do— Inver Hills Community College Macalester College and for continuing to learn and improve! Metropolitan State University Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical Minnesota State University, Mankato Board of Directors Minnesota State University Moorhead Ron Anderson (Chair) Jacqueline Johnson Normandale Community College Chanda Smith Baker Liz Kuoppala North Hennepin Community College Jay Barnes Stephen Lehmkuhle Northwest Technical College Alan Cureton John O’Brien Northwestern Health Sciences University Andrew Furco Annette Parker Saint John's University Connie Gores Paul Pribbenow Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Richard Hanson St. Catherine University St. Cloud State University Staff St. Olaf College Julie Plaut, Executive Director South Central College Sinda Nichols, Program Director Southwest Minnesota State University Ashley Sturz, VISTA Leader University of Minnesota, Crookston University of Minnesota Duluth Stay in touch! University of Minnesota, Morris [email protected] University of Minnesota Rochester 612-436-2080 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities www.mncampuscompact.org University of Northwestern - St. Paul Twitter: @mncompact #MNCCsummit University of St. Thomas Winona State University WiFi today: stkate-guest (No password required.)

Congratulations to the 2015 awardees! Each year Congratulations as well to the 19 Minnesota Campus Minnesota Campus Compact invites member presidents Compact member institutions honored for their and chancellors to give statewide recognition to civic engagement by the Carnegie Foundation and/or the engagement leaders in three categories, and we are also Corporation for National and Community Service and delighted to recognize the outstanding students named U. S. Department of Education this year. Newman Civic Fellows by national Campus Compact. Presidents’ Student 2015 Carnegie Community Engagement Leadership Award Classification Augsburg College (re-classified) This award is for an individual student or a student Gustavus Adolphus College (newly classified) organization that models a deep commitment to civic Macalester College (continuing from 2010) responsibility and leadership, evidenced by initiative, Metropolitan State University (re-classified) innovative, and collaborative approaches to addressing St. Catherine University (newly classified) public issues, effective community building, and integration St. Cloud State University (continuing from 2010) of civic engagement into the college experience. University of Minnesota, Morris (newly classified) Presidents’ Community University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (re-classified) University of St. Thomas (re-classified) Partner Award Winona State University (re-classified) This award is for a community-based organization that has enhanced the quality of life in the community in 2014 Honor Roll with Distinction meaningful and measurable ways and has engaged in the Augsburg College (General Community Service, also development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with the Finalist for Presidential Award in Interfaith Service) college or university, thus enriching educational as well as Concordia College (Interfaith Community Service) community outcomes. Hamline University (Interfaith) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (General) Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award 2014 Honor Roll This award is for a member of the faculty, administration, Carleton College (General) or staff or for a group (e.g., advisory committee, task force, Century College (General) project team) that has significantly advanced their campus’ College of Saint Benedict (General) distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, Hamline University (General, Education, and Economic supporting others’ civic engagement, and working to Opportunity) institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement. Inver Hills Community College (General and Education) Metropolitan State University (Education) Newman Civic Fellows Award Normandale Community College (General) Saint John’s University (General) This award honors inspiring college student leaders who St. Catherine University (General and have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for Economic Opportunity) challenges facing communities throughout the country. St. Cloud State University (General and Interfaith) Through service, research, and advocacy, they are making University of Minnesota, Crookston (General) the most of their college experiences to better understand University of Minnesota, Morris (General) themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective Winona State University (General) mechanisms for creating lasting change.

Program

9:00-10:00 Registration and Networking Light refreshments available

10:00-11:30 Rethinking Excellence in a Diverse Democracy Welcome from Ron Anderson, President, Century College, and Chair, Board of Direc- tors, Minnesota Campus Compact Keynote panel moderated by Chanda Smith Baker, President & CEO, Pillsbury United Communities, and Member, Board of Directors, Minnesota Campus Compact  Karen Diver is in her third term as Chairwoman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and serves as the Vice-President of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and Chair of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Finance Corporation. Diver serves on the Board of Directors for the Corporation for Supportive Housing. She is an appointee of President Obama to the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resiliency. She has a Bachelors in Economics from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  Nekima Levy-Pounds is Professor of Law and Director of the Community Justice Project (CJP) at the University of St. Thomas. She teaches and supervises law students as they use the law as a tool to advance the cause of social justice in poor communities of color through problem-solving, legal research and writing, community engagement and legislative advocacy. In addition to this work and her own scholarship, Levy-Pounds serves as a consultant to local civil rights organizations and community groups, a commentator in local media, and a speaker in national and international forums. She has won numerous awards, and the CJP received MNCC’s 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Campus-Community Partnership Award.  Andrew Seligsohn is the President of the national Campus Compact. He brings extensive experience in community involvement in higher education, having served as political science faculty member at a small liberal arts institution and as an administrator at large private and public universities. Most recently Associate Chancellor for Civic Engagement and Strategic Planning at Rutgers University–Camden, Seligsohn oversaw the comprehensive leveraging of resources to positively impact and integrate students and faculty with the community and to advance college access and success for underrepresented students. Seligsohn holds a B.A. from Williams College and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

11:45-1:30 Awards Luncheon Presentation of Presidents’ Awards and Newman Civic Fellows Awards “This I Believe” presentations  Alfredo Azevedo De Oliveira, Student, St. Cloud State University  Grace Nelson, Student, University of St. Thomas  Nicole Ektnitphong, Student, Gustavus Adolphus College  Awale Osman, Student, North Hennepin Community College, Augsburg College, and soon Minnesota State University, Mankato  Juan Cervantes, Agent, State Farm, and Vice President, East Side Area Business Association  Sue Martell, Placement Specialist, Volunteer Connection, Bloomington Public Schools - Pond Center  Margaret Noirjean, BSN Medical Assistant Program Instructor and Advisor, Dakota County Technical College  Paul Jackson, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Environmental Studies, St. Olaf College Tweet your highlights from the event! #MNCCsummit

1:45-3:00 Sessions Conflict Resolution: Real Skills for the Real World – Coeur de Catherine, Room 214 When done right, conflict resolution skills have the power to heal relationships, resolve thorny public issues, and trans- form communities. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn and practice skills including identifying the hid- den drivers of conflict, unlocking the incredible power of listening, and developing sustainable solutions.

Mariah Levison, Program Administrator, Minnesota State Office for Collaboration and Dispute Resolution

Developing Cultural Agility in Ourselves, Our Students, Institutions, and Partnerships – Mendel, Room 305 With support from a Bush Foundation Leadership Network Grant, MNCC's Cultural Agility Collaboration is bringing together diverse, multi-racial groups of college/university students, community members, and campus staff and faculty to advance inclusive, equitable campus-community partnerships and leadership development. Attend this session to hear what themes and priorities have emerged in their initial retreats, to discuss the competencies required to collaborate effectively, and to explore strategies for creating positive change in our institutions and communities.

Nickyia Cogshell, Chief Diversity Officer, Century College, and Member, Project Leadership Team, Cultural Agility Collabo- ration (CAC); and Jocelyn Hernandez, Student, North Hennepin Community College, and Member, CAC

Higher Education, Community Engagement, and the Changing World of Work – Library, Room 128 Both communities and higher education are in a time of dramatic change, when higher education faces new challenges, citizens often feel powerless, and students are borrowing at unprecedented levels. In response, policy makers have offered solutions that focus on “aligning” higher education with the workforce. Others ask, is this response too narrow? Can higher education help communities understand and address the rapidly changing nature of work and the work- place? What does it mean to be an educated person in the 21st century? At this breakout, participants will explore three major options (and gain a tool for facilitating further dialogue) about how to re-envision higher education.

Matt Filner, Chair, Social Science Department, Metropolitan State University

Student Perspectives on Community Engagement and the College/University Experience – Mendel, Room 213 While quantitative studies have found correlations between students’ community engagement and their persistence in college, there’s also much to be learned from students themselves. In this session, Jessie Bolin will share her experience going from a struggling student to an involved student leader and facilitate a discussion with a panel of students about how engagement has impacted them and contributed to their success.

Jessie Bolin, Charting the Future Coordinator, Minnesota State University Students Association; Jasmine Eltawely, Student, Augsburg College; Sammi Korinek, Student, Inver Hills Community College; and Kyle Lau, Student, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Supporting Low-Income Students' Success: Transformational Systems Change – Coeur de Catherine, Room 355 In this session, participants will learn about challenges of low-income parents on campus and recent changes to the education policy inside the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), the primary workforce development program for low-income families in Minnesota. Advocates from around the state in the nonprofit, foundation, education, and workforce sectors have built a solid frame of messaging to create positive change regarding education policy within MFIP and are interested in discussing work which still needs to be done to support the success and engagement of low- income students and potential students.

Katherine Wagoner, Director of Member Engagement, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless; and Kandace Creel Falcón, Director of Women's & Gender Studies, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Presidents and Chancellors Conversation with Andrew Seligsohn – Coeur de Catherine, Room 401 As Campus Compact heads towards its 30th anniversary year, our 1999 Presidents' Declaration on the Civic Responsibil- ity of Higher Education remains relevant. Higher education has made progress in acting on our civic responsibility, yet too much of the agenda remains unfinished. Presidents and chancellors are invited to identify decisive actions that institutions and leaders can take to accelerate the process of change. Andrew Seligsohn, President, Campus Compact

3:00 Adjourn

Presidents’ Student Leadership Awards

Rachel Shaheen, Augsburg College Working with low-income youth and seniors as a Bonner and Campus Kitchen Leader, Rachel builds community among these populations while engaging peers in dialogue on educational and economic systems. She found her place as a citizen of Minneapolis while at Augsburg Col- lege and will continue this work after graduation.

Rachel Clark, Carleton College Rachel has created positive social change during her four years at Carleton, beginning as a Reads and Counts Tutor and then taking on progressively more challenging responsibilities, culminating in her current position coordinating a wide array of college access efforts with Northfield’s Tackling Obstacles Raising College Hopes program.

Diana Beavers, Century College Even though she is very busy, Diana is immersed in campus life. She is part of the Poverty Aware- ness Committee, is committed to other students on campus, goes beyond her service-learning as- signments to volunteer at other non-profits, organizes events, is a classroom tutor in Sociology, and participates in on-campus student panels.

Katherine Maguire, College of Saint Benedict Katherine’s civic engagement activities reflect her passion for combating homelessness and educational inequality. She has participated in educational programs for kindergarteners, on-campus service events such as a hunger banquet and Sex Trafficking Awareness Week, community projects like the Cerebral Palsy Halloween Party, and national events like the National Bonner Conference.

May Yang, Concordia University - St. Paul May worked on a project to make swimming lessons affordable for young children in the Hmong community. She identified a need and generated a solution on her own, paying for 20 students’ lessons. She is also very active with volunteering with our Center for Hmong Studies on CSP’s campus.

DCTC Lion’s Club, Dakota County Technical College The DCTC Lion’s Club’s mission is “We Serve.” This semester alone, they have helped build townhouses through Habitat for Humanity, supported the Out of the Darkness walk to pre- vent suicide, gathered 800 lbs. of food for the local food shelf, and supported the Fight Against Hunger Walk at the Mall of America.

Nicole Ektnitphong, Gustavus Adolphus College Nicole is recognized for her campus service and leadership towards issues of environmental sustainability and climate advocacy, fossil fuel divestment, and diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as her numerous community contributions in youth leadership mentoring and development, social organizing and activism, and contributions to issues of social justice.

Jennifer Hamilton, Hamline University Jennifer is an outstanding senior who has dedicated much of her time at Hamline to civic leadership. For four years, Jen has been an integral leader in the Hamline to Hamline Collaboration and Catalyst spring break program. Jen’s dedication and leadership resounds on campus and throughout local and national communities.

Presidents’ Student Leadership Awards

Juan Caban, Inver Hills Community College Juan’s assistance at American Red Cross-Blood Services impacted ARC locally and nationally. He helped establish a Translator program (now a national model), served on the Red Cross Blood Ser- vices Diversity Ambassador Council, participated in a pilot certification process for volunteer transla- tors, and helped reach out to the Latino community.

Anne Marie Buron, Macalester College Anne Marie recognizes and seeks to cultivate potential in others. Her empathy and desire to connect with individuals enable her to address needs and challenges that arise in a moment’s notice and do so with compassion and respect. These qualities drive her approach to civic engagement, community building, and relationships.

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Student Club, Metropolitan State University The LECJ Club has effectively engaged student peers in dialogue with community experts through three forums on critical issues in their field, and provided essential logistical, financial and leadership support to this series. Club members have carried their respect and new knowledge into prisons, career networking, and forum planning.

Thomas Mision, Normandale Community College Thomas is committed to serving K-12 education. He is a dedicated tutor in the Bloomington Public Schools, leads International Kids Club, a program for international students and their parents, and is on track to complete 300 service hours with Normandale’s Leadership Through Service program. Thomas is a great servant leader!

Austin Barkley, Saint John’s University Austin is committed to providing access to education and proper nutrition to people around the world. He served at Anna Marie’s Alliance through the Jackson Fellowship and also tutored youth at Casa Guadalupe. Austin intends to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA teacher before attending graduate school.

Conner Ellinghuysen, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Conner’s commitment to civic responsibility and leadership is manifested in everything that he does. From serving as the Vice President for External Affairs on the Student Senate to leading the Future Alumni Association to serving as an Admission Ambassador, Conner models leadership for everyone in the Saint Mary’s community.

Lorena Ramirez, St. Catherine University Lorena has been involved in community work since starting at St. Kate’s as an America Reads Tutor. Throughout her undergraduate career, Lorena has been a tutor at Project for Pride in Living, worked as an America Reads Student Coordinator, and interned at Our Saviour’s Housing.

Alfredo Azevedo de Oliveira, St. Cloud State University According to the professor who nominated Alfredo, he is in the top 5% of their students (over 16 years of teaching) in regard to intellect, community engagement, and service. His commitment to higher education is palpable, and he provides evidence of this every day.

Presidents’ Student Leadership Awards

Will Lutterman, St. Olaf College Through many roles relating to environmental sustainability, Will has established himself as a thoughtful, strategic, collaborative and effective student leader both on and off campus. He completed multiple research internships which benefit the public interest. Will was also Co-founder and Coordinator of the Northfield Area Climate Summit attended by over 700 people.

Ashley Martell, University of Minnesota, Crookston Ashley is a senior Health Science major who has volunteered over 140 hours in the past year, serving primarily children’s organizations locally and abroad. She is an America Reads tutor, cares for infants in the Head Start program, and has provided dental hygiene services at the Santo Clinic in Haiti.

Cody Shaffer, University of Minnesota, Morris Cody has served as a TREC (Tutoring, Reading, and Empowering Children) tutor at the Zone after- school program for three years. A leader amongst his peers, Cody works well with students who have especially challenging behaviors or struggle academically. He builds a strong rapport with all children at Zone.

Oxfam Club, University of Minnesota Rochester Many students have spoken highly of the Oxfam Club’s impact on campus community. Stu- dents are learning leadership and the importance of being responsible community members. They address public issues through events, informing others about current foreign and domestic issues and how to address the long-term needs of the community.

Kat Applewhite, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities A computer science major and participant in the Community Engagement Scholars Program (CESP), Kat has volunteered as an ESL instructor at CLUES for three semesters and did service- learning while studying abroad. She is also very active in the CESP Leaders Board, planning events and initiatives to build community amongst Scholars. Maria Olson, University of Northwestern - St. Paul Maria demonstrates commitment to civic engagement in a manner that inspires others to action. Her efforts include partnering with organizations to raise awareness and combat sex-trafficking and homelessness, as well as numerous other initiatives to serve the marginalized. Maria’s creativity and commitment to social justice impacts and inspires the broader campus community.

Grace Nelson, University of St. Thomas Grace is very engaged as a student leader for UST’s VISION Program and Students for Justice and Peace. She created a leadership profile for a restaurant that helped former addicts lift themselves out of poverty through job training and placement. She also investigated opening a coffee shop providing job training skills, while serving coffee from Guatemala and educating about issues in Central America.

RE Initiative, Winona State University The RE Initiative students have helped develop and implement a peer education and advocacy program to address incidents of gender-based violence (GBV) on campus. They have undergone extensive training and provide support to GBV survivors, teach bystander intervention, and provide other resources for students who’ve experienced harassment, assault, violence, or stalking.

Newman Civic Fellows Award

Awale Osman, Augsburg College A senior Communication Studies major at Augsburg College, Awale transferred from North Hennepin Community College, where he was recruited to lead the Black Male Leadership Movement, an initiative developed in response to poor retention and persistence rates among Black male students. Currently Awale is the community outreach intern for the Minnesota Urban Debate League where he has developed Somali Debates for young people in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood—the first of its kind in the country.

Corey Culver, Century College Corey is a second year student at Century College and was last year’s Outstanding Sociology Student. In addition to succeeding academically, he is the Vice President of Service for the honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, and has completed the Century College Leadership Institute. Corey takes initiative to rally students for many good causes and events on campus and in the community.

Megan Schrafft, College of Saint Benedict Megan is a junior at the College of Saint Benedict and a student leader committed to addressing issues of health inequality. She helped start the on-campus club Global Health Affairs, which organizes medical mission trips to Honduras each summer. She also inspires and engages her peers in civic engagement through a variety of leadership roles.

Elena Anderson, Hamline University Elena is a junior at Hamline University and is devoted to actively creating change. The several ways with which Elena integrates her passion across communities includes, but is not limited to, Elena’s leadership as: a volunteer sexual violence advocate with Sexual Offense Services of Ramsey County, providing hospital outreach, and management of a crisis line. Elena’s community organizing and capacity building work throughout her vast experiences exemplify her immense commitment to creating social change.

Aramis Mendez, Macalester College Aramis is a sophomore Geography major with a concentration in Urban Studies and a participant in the Bonner Community Scholars program at Macalester College. He currently works with a local nonprofit, The Advocates for Human Rights, conducting client intakes, serving as an interpreter, and interviewing asylum seekers.

Benjamin Bourgoin, St. Cloud State University Ben has been an effective strategist and hard-working leader in student organizations and activities that address complex social issues and injustice. In his role as President of the Social Responsi- bility Student Organization on campus, Ben has led recent efforts to host ongoing educational ral- lies and teach-in sessions relating to human rights, racism, injustice and the like — in the wake of the Michael Brown and other related incidents around the country.

James T. Pathoulas, Saint John’s University James is a junior at Saint John’s University and has demonstrated a great commitment to being a part of providing opportunities for others. He is firm in his belief that every individual has unique gifts that can be intentionally cultivated in a nurturing environment and has a deep appreciation for the value of all people.

Presidents’ Community Partner Awards

The Cedar Cultural Center, Augsburg College The Cedar Cultural Center’s Midnimo: Building Unity, Campus and Community program built knowledge and understanding of Somali Muslim culture through music. Midnimo consisted of week-long residencies with Somali artists from around the world that included public concerts, workshops, and classroom curriculum at Augsburg College for Somali and non-Somali audiences.

Leah Eby, Carleton College Leah Eby, Coordinator for Growing Up Healthy, has inspired many collaborative projects, including working with an Anthropology course to develop an ethnographic tool kit for the Farmer to Family program, supporting students’ projects in the Public Health in Practice course, and supervising students to staff the Link Center help desk.

Ken Pekarek, Century College Ken is very understanding of students who work, support families, and take online classes. Students learn GIS/GPS technologies that are vital tools for law enforcement and public safety, assessing wildfire risk and mapping crime data. Learning this technology is also an important tool that can be highlighted on student resumes.

Monica Segura-Schwartz/Catholic Charities Immigrant and Refugee Services, College of Saint Benedict Catholic Charities programs provide advocacy and support to immigrants and refugees in the St. Cloud area. College of Saint Benedict students support their programming by providing leadership, organizing activities, coordinating volunteers, and serving as inspirational role models for immigrant and refugee children in Catholic Charities programs.

Dorothy Day Center, Concordia University - St. Paul During the day, Dorothy Day Center provides meals, mental health services, and medical care to help people experiencing homelessness. Overnight, it transforms into much-needed emergency housing. Concordia groups have served in various ways over the years, most recently in partnership to honor and celebrate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

360 Communities, Dakota County Technical College 360 Communities’ food shelves, domestic violence shelters, resource centers, and programs for school success from birth through graduation support more than 14,000 individuals yearly. 360 Communities partners with DCTC on drives, including “Stamp Out Hunger,” and backpack collection, and provides internships, community-based learning, and volunteer opportunities for DCTC students.

Paul Peterson, Gustavus Adolphus College Dr. Paul Peterson is being recognized for his promotion of long-standing partnerships between the Saint Peter schools and Gustavus Adolphus College. Dr. Peterson has enriched the quality of life in our community through value-added, mutually beneficial exchanges between our institutions such as Study Buddies tutoring, diverse service-learning engagements, and teacher practicums.

Presidents’ Community Partner Awards

Wheelock United Methodist Church, Hamline University Hamline’s McVay Youth Partnership program has been operating at Wheelock United Methodist Church since June 2007. Wheelock hosts 20-45 middle and high school youth three days a week and invites youth to help organize and share events with neighborhoods. Wheelock provides tremen- dous support and generosity.

Travelers, Inver Hills Community College Travelers provides significant financial support, direct employee/student interaction, and professional development for students and staff in work-study and persistence-fostering programs at Inver Hills. The Travelers EDGE Scholars program supports students from underrepresented backgrounds with personalized academic/career advising, financial literacy, scholarships, and paid, supported internship opportunities.

EXPO Elementary School, Macalester College It is an honor to recognize our partnership with EXPO Elementary School. From hosting Bonner Scholars and off-campus student employees, to weekly volunteers and those connected through courses with a community-based learning component, the EXPO Elementary community has been welcoming, preparing, and co-educating Macalester students for over 20 years.

East Side Area Business Association, Metropolitan State University The East Side Area Business Association, whose mission is “to create opportunities, educate, and advocate success for St. Paul’s diverse East Side business community,” has produced an innovative partnership with Metropolitan State University to promote small-business development and community economic vitality through paid internship experiences for university students.

Bloomington Public School Volunteer Connection, Normandale Community College The Bloomington Public Schools Volunteer Connection has been an essential partner in Normandale Community College’s America Reads and Counts tutoring program for over 15 years. Volunteer Connection works tirelessly to connect Normandale students with meaningful math and literacy tutoring opportunities.

Pastor Michael Laidlaw, Saint John’s University Pastor Michael Laidlaw founded the Overcomers International Fellowship in 1995 with the goal of supporting those who had been incarcerated. Today the program includes a residential facility, as well as mental health and chemical dependency programs. The program partners with students at CSB/SJU to provide job training and support.

Jefferson Elementary School/Big and Little Pals, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Big and Little Pals pairs Saint Mary’s students with at-risk youth from Jefferson Elementary School in Winona. Jefferson refers students to this program though its school counselor. The program builds positive mentoring relationships between Saint Mary’s students and Jefferson students by providing homework support and modeling resiliency and positivity.

Presidents’ Community Partner Awards

Dress for Success, St. Catherine University Dress for Success is dedicated to promoting the economic independence of women in the Twin Cities by providing professional attire and a network of support and career development tools to help women thrive in work and life. Dress for Success partnered with ten service-learning courses and supported two paid student positions.

YES Network, St. Cloud State University The YES Network motto is “neighborhoods working together to improve the quality of life for local families.” In Summer 2014, they employed people in need and had volunteers make and deliver almost 60,000 meals to low-income families. The summer food program fills a vital need in our community!

League of Women Voters Northfield-Cannon Falls, St. Olaf College Students have worked with the League during three elections, assisting in candidate forums and voter registration. Students also worked to develop a series of “Civic Stories,” photo essays about community leaders now posted on the League’s website. League leaders welcomed students with open arms and provided a lasting civic education.

Becki Jordan, University of Minnesota, Morris As Director of Advocacy at Someplace Safe, Becki has partnered with service-learning classes and provided multiple student volunteer opportunities and internships. A superb role model, she is passionate about anti-violence work and other social justice issues and is involved in many community-building and collaborative efforts outside of her job.

Hawthorne Education Center, University of Minnesota Rochester Hawthorne has been a partner for students in our required Community Collaboratory course since its inception in 2013. Center staff have served as community advisors and have guided UMR students through an iterative, long-term collaborative process of developing and implementing a computer literacy curriculum for adult learners.

Communities United Against Police Brutality, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities In the last 10 years, CUAPB, an all-volunteer organization, has engaged nearly 200 UMTC service- learning students as full participants in their work of ending police brutality by holding police accountable, educating the public about the issue and their rights, and advocating for policy changes to improve policing in our communities.

The Family Partnership, University St. Thomas The Family Partnership and John Till have worked with UST and the Sociology Department for 12 years, with over 400 students directly working in data and learning about social justice issues. John has made sure these real-life opportunities provide opportunities for students to work with data that is applied to client research questions.

Home and Community Options, Winona State University The partnership between HCO and WSU improves the quality of life for the people HCO serves and enhances the skills and commitment to civic responsibility of students in multiple academic departments. Students serve as interns and part-time employees at HCO, obtaining thousands of hours of hands-on learning.

Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Awards

Minnesota Urban Debate League, Augsburg College The Minnesota Urban Debate League is a program of Augsburg College that provides academic competitive debate programming to 5th-12th graders. The MNUDL serves 40 schools and 750 students in the 2014-2015 school year. 100% of participating high school seniors have graduated on time, 99% have been accepted to college.

Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Carleton College By incorporating academic civic engagement into physics and environmental studies courses, inde- pendent studies, and special projects, Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Associate Professor of Physics, has nur- tured the development of civic engagement at Carleton. Collaborating with campus, community and alumni partners, she has raised awareness and encouraged change in the renewable energy sector.

Century College Nursing Faculty, Century College We are grateful to work with such supportive colleagues who truly understand civic engagement. With the realignment of the Nursing curriculum this past year, the service- learning department has consistently been involved in meetings and discussions of its implementation to make sure service-learning is represented and considered.

Janna LaFountaine, College of Saint Benedict Janna requires service-learning components for her courses in Sport Ethics and Culture and Sport. Janna creates an environment where students learn and grow through their combined experience of being in the classroom and in the community. Each year, her students provide more than 1,200 hours of service to organizations.

Jim Seeman, Concordia University - St. Paul Jim Seeman is a theatre faculty member who also has a passion for reaching out to the incarcerated. He has been involved in prison ministry programs for over a decade and is active in involving both the CSP and the Lutheran communities in this opportunity for service.

Margaret Noirjean, Dakota County Technical College A hallmark of Margaret’s Medical Assistant program is incorporating community-based learning and service into her curriculum. Over the last two academic years, she has fostered a strong, reciprocal partnership with Vineyard Community Services, where her students provide health assessments and extra assistance with food distribution for VCS’s “neighbors.”

Sarah Wolter, Gustavus Adolphus College Dr. Sarah Wolter is recognized for her cumulative legacy of outstanding civic engagement in media literacy and culture, numerous collaborative community partnerships, as well as her work in institu- tionalizing a culture and practice of civic engagement at Gustavus, most notably through her contributions towards developing the nationally recognized Public Discourse courses.

David Davies, Hamline University David provides opportunities for students to understand and appreciate the diverse people and pas- sions that make up the community surrounding Hamline University. David creates a culture of community engagement and investment by pairing students with Hamline-Midway residents to learn first-hand knowledge about unique challenges and opportunities in the surrounding community.

Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Awards

Tom Reis & Cheryl Redinger, Inver Hills Community College Tom and Cheryl lead the Human Services department at IHCC and live their profession’s mission. They advocate for underserved students, challenging the campus to contribute to their success, advise the Volunteering Individuals Brings Empowerment student club, and lead groups of students on weeklong disaster relief service trips each spring.

Macalester Geography Department, Macalester College The Macalester Geography Department advances a distinguished, multi-decade history of civic engagement. The value of engagement infuses the department’s culture, mentoring of students, and its local, national, and international community-based learning and research projects. It is a catalyst for civic engagement across campus in academic concentrations, programs, and sustainability initiatives.

Virginia Card, Metropolitan State University Professor Virginia Card’s commitment to restoration and preservation of the forest adjacent to the University’s Dayton’s Bluff campus meets the highest standards of community engagement: the cultivation of long-term, reciprocal partnerships where community-defined needs and knowledge are matched with faculty scholarship and expertise to support student learning and research.

Brooke Thaden-Koch, Normandale Community College As a Sociology faculty member, Brooke Thaden-Koch has been a strong advocate of community- based learning and has fostered a culture of engagement at Normandale. Brooke regularly teaches the Service-Learning and Community Engagement course where she exhibits exceptional passion and encourages students to be true change-agents in the world.

Jennifer S. Kramer, Saint John’s University Jen Kramer is a Communication faculty member at CSB/SJU. She integrates experiential learning opportunities into nearly every course she teaches including Health Communication and Intercul- tural Communication. She says, “When you can get people to communicate with those they nor- mally would not, magic often happens.”

Solidarity Council, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota The Solidarity Council is a student and employee group invested in creating an inclusive campus community. It is dedicated to bringing awareness to local and global diversity issues by sponsoring Solidarity Talks on current topics and organizing the week-long multicultural celebration. Saint Mary’s is blessed by their engagement and activism.

Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Committee, St. Catherine University The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Committee worked tirelessly for a year conducting a self- assessment that involved collecting data, interviewing colleagues, compiling research and engaging the community to submit an application for the 2015 Classification. The work paid off with a successful application and a future plan for deepened community engagement.

Thomas Zupanc, St. Cloud State University Tom Zupanc, a faculty member in the accounting department, established the VITA program in which accounting students prepare tax returns for low-income citizens in central Minnesota. Students working cooperation with TriCAP resulted in refunds totaling more than $3.5million in 2014 alone.

Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Awards

Paul Jackson, St. Olaf College Paul has made outstanding contributions in green chemistry and environmental chemistry, supporting development of Green Chemistry and Design curricula in Minnesota. Paul’s interest in environmental chemistry has transformed the teaching of environmental science at St. Olaf. Locally, Paul spearheaded collaboration among numerous constituents to protect a threatened trout stream.

Cristen Cox, South Central College Cristen Cox, Medical Assisting Instructor and Department Chair, oversees a partnership with the Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) Occupational Medicine Department through which SCC students administer flu shots to MCHS staff and providers, an average of 3,000-4,000 flu shots annually. This ensures that MCHS staff are able to remain in their assigned departments providing care to patients.

Campus and Community Connect, Southwest Minnesota State University This major partnership between SMSU Exercise Science, SMSU Center for Civic Engagement, and the Marshall Area YMCA has resulted in a health clinic, wellness fair, and resource expo helping underserved and low-income residents of Marshall and the surrounding area gain access to community resources, programs, and other services.

Arne Kildegaard, University of Minnesota, Morris Arne Kildegaard’s career and community engagement have centered around creating a vibrant and environmentally sustainable rural community in Morris. Arne consulted on state-level political discussions about environmental issues and played a central role in solving the challenging financial issues facing the Pomme de Terre Food Co-op and coordinating its move.

Yuko Taniguchi, University of Minnesota Rochester Yuko Taniguchi’s recent community project is Surviving Tsunami Waves. To create this exhibition and 22 events, she partnered with the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Art Center. Yuko is a civically engaged scholar, epitomizing the University of Minnesota Rochester’s core value of community.

Public Engagement Council, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities The Public Engagement Council has worked for four years to enhance policies and procedures across the entire U of M system that enable quality engagement work, including making significant changes to University metrics that allow the University to track and document engaged research and teaching.

Kevin Sauter, University of St. Thomas Dr. Sauter has offered service-learning opportunities for over 25 years. He worked to create one of the longest running service-learning experiences/partnerships at St. Thomas with the Kekaha Learn- ing Center in Hawaii. Dr. Sauter also helped start a partnership with Cristo Rey High School where more than 2,000 students have collaborated with over 1,450 Cristo Rey students.

Department of Nursing, Winona State University Faculty members have significantly advanced the civic mission of WSU in their commitment to encouraging student engagement in the Rochester community through service- learning activities within required practice coursework. Students work within community groups to address health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance needs of underserved and at-risk populations.

Minnesota Campus Compact thanks our generous Summit sponsors:

as well as the following table sponsors: Augsburg College Century College Metropolitan State University St. Cloud State University South Central College University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement University of Minnesota, Morris University of Minnesota Rochester University of Northwestern - St. Paul Winona State University and all of you for your commitment to meaningful civic and community engagement!

Want more time to learn and network with colleagues from across the Upper Midwest? The 2015 regional summit, The Global Is Local: Civic Engagement Across Cultures, Communities, and Nations, will take place at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter on June 9-10. Registra- tion, the detailed program, and information about accommodations are all available at www.midwestengagementsummit.org. Register by April 30 for early-bird rates.