FIVE YEAR OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY RESEARCH UNIT (CRU) FACULTY OF ARTS,UNIVERSITY OF REGINACreated December 12, 2013

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON…. 2003

The 2003 Final Report of the Faculty of Arts’ Planning Committee, We Who Serve, made the following recommendation:

C2 We will develop a community research unit out of the Faculty of Arts that will act as a connection between the research needs of the communities that we serve and the research interests of faculty members and students.

2004

Arts hosted a community meeting on April 28, 2004 at the Unitarian Centre to gauge interest and gather feedback on a “Research for Communities Unit”

A group dedicated to this idea began to form the unit by addressing its focus, structure and members.

2006

A working group of 4 university members (including the Associate Dean (R&GS as chair) and 4 community members was formed to develop the Community Research Unit.

2007

Working Group began to meet on a regular basis

2008

The CRU received an operational budget of $5000/year

Hired a staff coordinator on a year-long term (.80FTE), using Arts discretionary funding

Started our first community-based research projects (completed 2 the first year).

2009

We were facilitating CBR (community-based research) projects on a regular basis

Planned and hosted our first Arts CARES program Hosted our “launch” – Making the Links Event

September 2009 for university & community folks Hosted our first strategic planning sessions: lots

of talk about funding, formalizing as a type I vs type II unit

Staff coordinator became a permanent staff member under the Dean of Arts Office

The Working Group evolve into a Board of Directors

We established regular (monthly) meetings

2010

We were formally approved by the Faculty of Arts as a Type II Research Centre (Jan 2010). This meant: The creation of a Type II Research policy for the

Faculty of Arts The creation of a constitution (evolved from

original terms of reference). Creation of a Director position: Patricia Elliott

joined us as our first Director in March 2010. We created a CSL Committee to plan the 2nd

Arts CARES program We joined a national CES project (through an

application process)

2011

Creation of our Research & Action Fund (funded 3 projects our first year)

Hired our first Arts CARES Student Assistant Successfully applied for Youth Intern for 6

months Organized and hosted our first Toolkit

Workshop Series

2012

The CRU (not our researchers) gave our first scholarly presentation at the CACSL conference about Arts CARES

Hosted our first appreciation event Signed an MOU with RPIRG, formalizing our

relationship Hosted Barbara Holland for the CES project

2013

Our operational budget was increased to $6000/annually

Trish presented at the CU Expo for the CES project

Hosted our first Spring Celebration & first Community Connections Awards

Updated our constitution Michelle Stewart joined us as our 2nd faculty

director

COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROJECTS 2008-20132013 African Canadian Saskatchewan Forum - ACSF Of Land and Living Skies Community Journal -

SOEEA Regina Cooking Fires Project – Regina Fire &

Protective Services Saskatchewan Living Wage Project – CCPA SK Student Parent Experiences Research Project –

PASS SCIC's 40th Anniversary History Project - SCIC

2012 Regina Community Food Assessment - CFSSC Housing First Project – Carmichael Outreach Campus Compost Project – RPIRG & Facilities

Management

2011 Ecole Connaught Community School: 100 Years of

Community and Education – Ecole Connaught Centennial Committee

Mapping Corporate Power in Saskatchewan – CCPA SK

Saskatchewan Poverty Elimination Public Involvement Program – Poverty Free Saskatchewan

Sheatre's Far From the Heart: Assessing the Impact - Sheatre

REACH Outcomes Measurement - REACH

Bridging the Gap: Regina Landlords and Renters on Social Assistance – Carmichael Outreach & Living Sky Media

Exploring Schools as Community Hubs – Save Athabasca School Committee

Crime-Free Multi-Housing – NCCA, Queen City Tenants’ Association & Regina Police Services

2010 Voices in Education: An Exploration of Digital

Storytelling – Save Our Schools SACHM Centennial History Project – Saskatchewan

African Canadian Heritage Museum

2009 North Central Community History – North Central

Community Association The Cost of Healthy Eating – Regina Food Bank &

REACH The Women of Washington Park Place – Erhlo

Community Services

2008 Court Breach Alternatives – Regina Alternative

Measures Program Building SEED Regina – SEED Regina North Central Housing Facilitator – North Central

Community Association

RESEARCH & ACTION FUND 2011-20132010/2011Community Hub for Athabasca SchoolSave Athabasca School Coalition$3,000.00 May 1-August 30, 2011

Bridging the Gap: Creating Dialogue with Landlords

Carmichael Outreach Inc$3,000.00 May 1-August 30, 2011

Far From the Heart: Assessing the Impact

Sheatre Educational Alternative Theatre (Huron)

$3,000.00 May 1, 2011 - March 1, 2012TOTAL distributed = $9,000.00

2011/2012Saskatchewan Poverty Elimination

Public Involvement ProgramPoverty Free Saskatchewan$2,000.00 June 1, 2011 - January 31, 2012, extended

to Sept 30, 2012

Mapping Corporate Power in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Public Policy Working Group, c/o CCPA - SK

$3,000.00 August 1, 2011 - September 30, 2012

Ecole Connaught Community School: 100 Years of Community and Education

Ecole Connaught Centennial Committee$3,000.00 November 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012TOTAL distributed = $8,000.00

2012/2013Regina Community Food System

Assessment and Action Plan REACH & Regina Community Food System

Steering Committee$3,000.00 January 1, 2013 - July 1, 2013

Homes First StudyCarmichael Outreach Inc$3,000.00 March 21, 2013-August 31, 2013

Saskatchewan Living Wage ProjectCanadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -

Saskatchewan$2,550.00 May 1, 2013 - October 31, 2013

SCIC History ProjectSaskatchewan Council for International

Cooperation (SCIC)$3,000.00 May 15, 2013 - December 15, 2013TOTAL distributed $11,550.00

2013/2014 (year to date)African Canadian Saskatchewan Forum

(ACSF): Understanding how to form an enduring organization

Uganda Canadian Association of Saskatchewan

$3,000 November 27, 2013 - June 30, 2014

Of Land and Living Skies: A Community Journal on Place, Land and Learning

Saskatchewan Outdoor & Environmental Education Association (SOEEA)

$3,000 December 2, 2013-December 31, 2014 Distributed to date =$6,000

5 YEARS OF ARTS CARES (2009-2013)Students: Total number of student participants = 260 Total hours of service = 3800 + Our Students in the past five years: The top 4 contributing Faculties:

Arts Social Work Education Science

Average age: 24 years old, Median age = 22 years old 1st and 2nd years students = 60% of total participants

Community Partners Total number of different community partners = 34 * Note that many have

participated in multiple Arts CARES programs.

Courses: Total number of different participating courses = 19 * Note that many have

participated in multiple Arts CARES programs, and this doesn’t reflect new instructors, or instructors teaching multiple courses

Arts CARES 2014:•70 students•11 courses (4 new courses)•25 community partners (7 new partners)