Creating a Culture of Collaboration:Collecting Community Engagement Data

Susan Connery, Director of the Feinstein Community Service Center

Christopher Hourigan, Director of Institutional Research

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Presentation Plan

1. Background on Presenters2. Background on Johnson & Wales University3. Background on Institutional Research at JWU4. What Does Community Engagement “Look

Like” at JWU?5. How Community Engagement Data are

Collected6. Utilizing Community Engagement Data7. Successes and Challenges8. Lessons Learned

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Background on Presenters

Susan Connery•Director of Feinstein Community Service Center•Nineteen years at Johnson & Wales University

Christopher Hourigan•Director of Institutional Research•Four years at Johnson & Wales University•Previously worked at William Paterson University and University of New Haven in institutional research

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Background on Johnson & Wales University• Nonprofit, private regionally

accredited (NEASC) institution with four campuses: Providence, Charlotte, Denver, and North Miami

• More than 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries

• Student centered, Experientially based, Industry Relevant, Employment Focused and Globally Oriented

• Undergraduate Programs offered in Business, Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Technology; graduate programs in Business, Criminal Justice, and Education.

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Background on Institutional Research at JWU

• Serves as the official source of data on all aspects of the University, across the four campuses.

• Categories of data maintained and used for reporting: admissions, enrollment, courses, degree completions, faculty, etc.

• Helps to ensure integrity of data used and find efficient ways to maintain data.

• Helps to define indicators for University and its departments and units.

• Responds to external requests for data.• Helps support assessment by providing consultation

on survey design, administration, and data analysis. • Conducts institution-wide surveys for University.

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What Does Community Engagement “Look Like” at JWU? — Philosophy

• Community leadership • Career education • Experiential education

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What Does Community Engagement “Look Like” at JWU? — History

• Development of Practicum Program• CARLISLE Foundation• Feinstein Foundation• Feinstein Community Service Center (1995)• Development of Community Service-Learning

Graduation Requirement

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What Does Community Engagement “Look Like” at JWU? — Organization

• Feinstein Community Service Center (John Hazen White School of Arts & Sciences)

• LINC/Space Committees• President’s Office• Other departments (Athletics, Residential Life,

Student Activities, International Center, etc.)

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What Does Community Engagement “Look Like” at JWU? 2011-12 Statistical Profile• 51,665 service hours completed by 2,651

students through academic Community Service-Learning

• 53,020 service hours completed by 6,463 students through co-curricular service and Community Service Work Study

• 52,785 service hours completed by 136 students through internships at nonprofit Sites

• Approximately 60 faculty members offer service-learning through their classes

• Over $140,000 in donations

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How Community Engagement Data are Collected

• CSL registration/grading • President’s Office• Student Activities tracking• Student Employment Office • Residential Life tracking• Experiential Education tracking• Assessment surveys (student, faculty,

partner)• Institution-wide surveys (NSSE, Alumni

Survey, etc.)• Economic impact consultants

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Utilizing Community Engagement Data

• Data used to understand trends in Community Engagement– How many students are participating and how many hours of

service do they perform?– How have these figures changed over time? – How do these trends vary by campus, college, and program?• Data used to understand success and importance of Community

Engagement and for improvement where necessary– What impact does Community Service-Learning have on

community partners and students?– How important are Community Service-Learning experiences to

students as they transition to the labor market and to prospective employers?

– How can Community Service-Learning be improved to provide greater benefit to students, partners, and others?

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Utilizing Community Engagement Data

• Data used to tell story of community engagement’s key role at JWU and enhance reputation– Recruitment of students, faculty, staff to the

university; recruitment of faculty and students to civic engagement programs and activities

– Funders– Awards– Resource allocation– Governmental lobbying and political relationship

building– Economic impact

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Successes and ChallengesSuccesses

– We have data for several years from a variety of sources.– Some data collection has been systematized.– Data that can be used for various purposes.

Challenges– Data from regional campuses not collected as efficiently as

Providence data.– Hard to capture all community service-learning activity that

goes on (e.g., as part of courses).– Difficulty in measuring “impact” and “engagement” – Difficulty in tracking individual volunteers versus group

volunteerism– Change in community service-learning graduation

requirement.

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Lessons Learned Institutional Research

• Pointers for the general research gathering process

• Resources for developing questions for assessment instruments

• Types of information available from an IR office/ways they can be a resource

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Lessons LearnedService-Learning Practitioners

• Develop good relationships with other departments

• Give context and explanation about how data will be used when making the request

• Let contributors know results so that they will know the data is being used, contributed to positive outcomes

• Engage the president’s office; requests for data carry more weight

• Make data collection part of regular campus timeline; departments expect to be asked for data at regular intervals

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Discussion/Questions

• What have you done at your institutions?• What successes and challenges do you have?• Please contact Susan Connery at

Sconnery@jwu.edu with any future questions.