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PUBLICATION T20-014 JULY 2020
Understanding Perceptions of University of Delaware’s Community Engagement: Feedback from Students
Authors: Allison Karpyn, PhD
Kathleen McCallops, MS Henry Wolgast Tara Tracy, BS
Iyanna McCoy, BS Nicole Miller
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CRESP is committed to addressing education and social policy challenges with rigorous, relevant research. The Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP) within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware conducts rigorous research, program evaluation, and policy analysis to help policymakers and practitioners in education, community health and human services determine which policies and programs are most promising to improve outcomes for children, youth, adults and families.
Founded in 2013, CRESP recognizes that poverty, educational achievement, and chronic disease prevention are intertwined in a complex social web that challenges communities and policymakers alike. CRESP’s mission, values, and scientific priorities seek to inform program and policy development across local, state, and federal levels. We work alongside program professionals, academic leaders, and students to foster engagement in high-quality, practice-driven research and evaluation. CRESP researchers are trained in evaluation methodology, randomized field experiments, natural experiments, qualitative methods, statistical analysis, mixed-method evaluation and survey research.
Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions about us or our research. Center for Research in Education and Social Policy University of Delaware Pearson Hall, Suite 107 125 Academy Street Newark, DE 19716 [email protected] (302) 831-2928
cresp.udel.edu Twitter: @udcresp
CRESP Leadership Team Henry May, Director ([email protected]) Allison Karpyn, Senior Associate Director ([email protected]) Sue Giancola, Senior Associate Director ([email protected]) Jeff Klein, Associate Director ([email protected])
Suggested Citation Karpyn, A., McCallops, K., Wolgast, H., Tracy, T., McCoy, I., & Miller, N. (July 2020). Understanding
Perceptions of University of Delaware’s Community Engagement: Feedback from Students (T20-014). Newark, DE: Center for Research in Education and Social Policy.
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UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS OF UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE’S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Inresponsetocurrenteffortstomeasureandunderstandcommunityengagement,the
CommunityEngagementInitiative(CEI)attheUniversityofDelaware(UD)developedopen-source,communityengagementsurveytoolstocollectdataregardingcommunityengagementacrossthreekeystakeholdergroups:(1)students,(2)facultyandstaff,and(3)communitypartners.Developmentofthesurveytoolswasdrivenbycreationofalogicmodel,incorporationofothermodelsandsurveys,andconsiderationofoverarchinggoals(e.g.,creatingmutuallybeneficialtiesbetweeninstitutionsandcommunities).Thisreportpresentsdata,collectedintheFallof2019,fromthefacultyandstaffsurvey,whichincludedbothquantitativeandqualitativequestions.
Thefollowingarethemajorquantitativefindingsofthestudentsurvey:
• 86%reportedthatequitymatterstoUDwhenitcomestotheircommunitywork.
• 87%statedthatUDsupportsK-12educationinthestate.
• 89%agreedorstronglyagreedthatUDsupportsartsandculturalactivitiesinthestate.
• 86%reportedthatUDsupportscommunity-basedpublichealthinthestate.
• 86%statedthatcommunity-mindedstudentsaresupportedbyUDfaculty.
Thefollowingarethemajorqualitativefindingsofthestudentsurvey:
• StudentsoftenreportedonthestrengthsofUD’scommunityengagementefforts,suchasexamplesofhowUDactivelyengageswiththesurroundingcommunity.
• Inaddition,studentsidentifiedweaknessesofandbarrierstocommunityengagementatUD,suchaslackoftransportation,livingoff-campus/farawayfromcampus,andlackofadvertisingcommunityengagementopportunities.
• Furthermore,respondentsprovidedrecommendationstoimprovecommunityengagementatUDbyincreasingawarenessofcurrentinitiativesandincreasingparticipationbyengagingtheentirecampus.
Basedonthesefindings,weproviderecommendationsandreflectionstostrengthenUD’scommunityengagementeffortsaspartofUD’scommitmenttoitsCarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementofTeachingdesignation:
1. Clarifyandexpandawarenessofwhatcommunityengagementis,whyitisvalued,andhowitcanlookacrosscollegesanddepartments,aswellasstudentgroups,perhapsincludingRegisteredStudentOrganization(RSO)leaderorientation.
2. ConsideracommunityengagementregularfeatureinTheReviewandUDaily.
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3. Identifyonecentralweb-basedlocationwherecommunityengagementactivitiesandopportunitiesacrosstheUniversitycanbelocated.
4. Clarifyhowstudentscanworkincoordinationwithandsupportestablishedpartnerships.
5. Re-visitterminologyrelatedtocivicengagement,partnerships,andcommunityengagementtoensureconsistencyinmessagingacrosstheUniversity.
6. Increasetransportationandadditionalaccessibilityresourcestofacilitatestudents’abilitytoparticipateincommunityengagementactivities.
7. Createprofessionaldevelopmentlearningopportunitiesforstudents(i.e.,materialsatorientation),perhapsincoordinationwithRSOleaders,toadvancestudents'understandingofcommunityengagementatUD,suchaswhatthepartnershipsareandhowtobecomeinvolved.
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STUDENT – COMMUNITY ENGAGMENT REPORT
INTRODUCTION Measuringthebreadthanddepthofaninstitution’scommunityengagementandthe
efficacyofitscollaborativeeffortsisanessentialtaskforthefutureofcommunityengagement,alsoknownascivicengagement.TheCommunityEngagementInitiative(CEI)attheUniversityofDelaware(UD)hasdevelopedasetoftoolsformeasuringaUniversity’sinstitutionalcommunityengagementacrossthreekeystakeholdergroups:(1)students,(2)facultyandstaff,and(3)communitypartners.Thetoolkitismadeupofalogicmodelandthreedistinctsurveys,oneforeachidentifiedstakeholdergroup.Surveyquestionsaredistinctlymappedfromthelogicmodel’sshort-andlong-termobjectivesforimprovinginstitutionalcapacityforcommunityengagement.AnnualsurveysareelectronicallydistributedtoeachofthestakeholdergroupstoinformandimprovetheUniversity’scommunityengagementefforts.Thistoolkitisthefirstfreelyaccessibleongoingtooltoassessandimproveinstitutionalcommunityengagementandaimstoimprovereciprocallybeneficialrelationshipsbetweeninstitutionsandthecommunitiesinwhichtheyareengaged.
BACKGROUND AND BRIEF HISTORY
Universitiesgloballyareembracingcivicengagementasanimportantcomponentoftheirwork.TheCarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementofTeachinghasdesignated359outof5,000highereducationinstitutionsintheU.S.ascivicallyengagedorganizations,anumberwhichcontinuestoincrease(AssociationofPublicandLand-grantUniversities,2020).UDwasformallyrecognizedbytheCarnegieFoundationforoutstandingcommunityengagementin2015,1of67publicinstitutionsnationallythatholdthisdesignation.UD’sclassificationwasgarneredbytheCEI,whichseekstoexpandtheUniversity’sroleincultivatingactivecitizensthroughpartnershipsthatimpactcivicneedsandfosteringreciprocallybeneficialrelationshipsbetweentheUniversityandthecommunitieswhereitisengaged.
Yetsucheffortsarenotsimpleundertakings,andtodowell,requiremorethanadefaultdocumentation.Awell-designedassessmentapproachmustclarifypurposeandaims,whileadvancingthequalityoftheeffortalongwithsupportingacommonunderstandingofgoalsandobjectives.Anintegratedapproachtoassessmentisonemechanismtohelpestablishacommondefinitionofsuccess,yetwithsuchoverarchingsubstantialeffortsbeingundertakenacrossstakeholdergroupsincludingstudents,facultyandstaff,andcommunitypartners,viaasimilarbreadthofinterwovenactivitieswhichoverlapacrosstheareasofresearch,teaching,andservice(includingfromacommunitymemberperspective)measuringsucheffortscanbedaunting.
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Further,datacanbeutilizedtoservemultiplepurposes,informingnotonlytheCEI’sprogress,butalsosupportinglearningobjectives,researchneedsanddepartmentorcenter-basedevaluationneeds.
UD’scommunityengagementleadersidentifiedoneofthemajorchallengesintransitioningfromcommunityinvolvementtosustainedandvisiblecommunityengagementtobethedevelopmentofastrategicprocessfortheregular,systematicandstandardizedcollectionofinformationoncommunityengagementactivities.Sincethen,theevaluationteamhasdevelopedatoolkitaligningindicatorsandoutcomesfromacomprehensivelogicmodeltoformulatesurveyquestions,identifiedkeysourcesofdatafromwhichprogresscanbemonitoredandtracked,andcollectedsurveydatafromthreekeystakeholdergroupstoinformandimprovetheUniversity’scommunityengagementusingthesesystematicmeasurabletools.
Institutionalcivicengagementisimportantinestablishingmutuallybeneficialrelationshipsbetweenanorganizationandthecommunitywhereitislocated.Establishingmutuallybeneficialrelationshipsrequiresnotonlycontinuedengagementeffortsbutalsocommunitypartners’trustthatinstitutionalpartnershavetheirbestinterestsinmind.Highereducationhaslongbeeninvolvedincommunityengagementeffortsyettherehaslargelybeenalackofsystematic,quantitativeandqualitativeanalysisoftheeffectiveness,coordination,accessibility,andperceptionoftheseefforts.EvaluatinginstitutionalcivicengagementeffortscanimproveUD’scommunityengagementbyprovidingtheCEIandothercivicengagementleaderswithtrendsandanalysisofstakeholders’perceptionsontheeffectiveness,accessibility,andscopeofengagementefforts.
UDhasalongtraditionofcommitmenttocommunityengagedscholarshipthroughapplyingknowledgeandcreativitytochallengesfacingDelawarecommunities.In2013,UD’sCarnegieFoundationTaskForcedesignedandfieldedthefirst-everUDCommunityEngagementSurveytoallfacultyandstaff.Thesewerethefirstresultsleveragedtoimprovetheaccessibilityofcommunityengagementopportunitiesforfacultyandstaff.
In2015,theCarnegieFoundationhonoredUDforitsinstitutionalcommitmenttocommunityengagement.WithinthecontextoftheCarnegieFoundationdesignation,communityengagedresearchhaswidelydefinedthepurposeofcommunityengagementas“thepartnershipofcollegeanduniversityknowledgeandresourceswiththoseofpublicandprivatesectorstoenrichscholarship,research,andcreativeactivity;enhancecurriculum,teachingandlearning,prepareeducated,engagedcitizens;strengthendemocraticvaluesandcivicresponsibility;addresssocietalissues;andcontributetothepublicgood”(CivicEngagementBenchmarkingTaskForce,2005,p.2).
Thefollowingyear,UD’sCEIformedtostrengthencivicengagementacrosstheinstitutionanditspartners.TheinitiativewasformedtostrengthencollaborationbetweenUDanditslargercommunityandindoingsorecognizeandimpactcivicneeds.In2017,CEIheldquarterlyevaluation
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meetingstodefinecommunityneedsandidentifycorrespondingdatasources.TheUniversity’sCivicActionPlan,publishedin2017,developedUD’sthreekeypartnershipgroups,thePartnershipforHealthyCommunities,thePartnershipforArtsandCulture,andthePartnershipforPublicEducation.
Inresponsetoacallforongoingmeasurementofinstitutionalengagement,theprocessofdevelopinganevaluationtoolbeganin2018.Thetooldevelopmentconsistedofaseven-stepprocess,furtherdetailedintheMethodssection,resultinginacomprehensivelogicmodel,aligningoutcomesandindicatorsofcommunityengagement,seeFigure1,aswellassurveysforthethreeidentifiedstakeholdergroups.SurveydatacollectedfromUDstudents,facultyandstaff,andcommunitypartnerswasutilizedtodirectlymeasuretheobjectivesidentifiedinthelogicmodel;thoughadditionaldatawasalsocollectedfromotherexistingsources(i.e.,researchandadministrativesources).
Figure1.CommunityEngagementLogicModel
Theauthorsofthisreportintendforthisdatatobeusedwithinthecontextofthelogicmodel,toinformandimprovethecommunityengagementworktomeetUD’sgoalsforitsCEI.Further,thesetoolsweredevelopedtosupportmutuallybeneficialcommunityengagementamongsimilarinstitutions.
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METHOD
SURVEY DEVELOPMENT
Surveydevelopmentconsistedofaseven-stepprocesstoensurethatsurveyquestionswerecomprehensive,alignedwithformertools,allwhileremainingsuccincttoincreaseparticipants’responserates.Thefirststepbeganin2018byreviewingallavailablematerialsanddocumentswhichdescribedthepurposeandintentofthecivicengagementworkatUD.ThesetoolsincludedUD’s2017CivicActionPlanaswellasthemissionstatementsandongoingengagementeffortsofpartnershipgroups.Inordertobegingatheringdatathatwouldassessengagementefforts,aninventoryofcommunityengagementeffortsbyfaculty,staff,students,andcommunitypartnerswassimultaneouslyestablishedusingacademiccollegesaskeyinformationproviders.
Asthesecondstepinsurveydevelopment,theresearchteamconductedaliteraturereviewonstrategiesforevaluatinginstitutionalcommunityengagementandbyreviewingtheworkofothercommunity-engagedinstitutions.Whilealimitednumberoftoolswereidentified,thoseresourcesidentifiedwerenotequippedtoassesscommunitypartnerperceptionofinstitutionalengagement.
Thethirdstepinvolvedusingpriortoolsandpartnershipfeedbackasguidestodevelopshort-andlong-termobjectivesofcommunityengagement.Theprocessincludedacommitteeofindividuals,withinputfrompartnershipgroupsoftheCEI,resultinginclearlyarticulatedobjectivesfortheeffortsothattheappropriatedatacouldbeidentifiedandtrendscouldbetracked.Objectiveswerelargelydefinedbyamyriadofdatasourcesandpartnerevaluationsofcommunityneeds.Short-andlong-termobjectiveswereidentifiedthatwouldincreasethecapacityformembersoftheUDcommunitymemberstoparticipateincommunityengagementwithinandbeyondUD’scampus.Theseobjectiveswerethenmappedtolong-termgoalsthatfocusonthecontinualdevelopmentandmeasurementof:(1)high-qualitycommunityengagementactivities;(2)community-engagedscholarshipamongfaculty,staff,students,communitypartners;and(3)improvedwell-beingofUDandthecommunitieswhereitisengaged.Theseobjectivesandgoalswereutilizedtocreatealogicmodel,avisualguidetotheoutlineandtimelineoftheobjectivesandgoalsforcommunityengagement.
Objectivesweremappedtoindicatorsforeachsurveygroup,comprisingthefourthstepinthesurveydevelopmentprocess.WorkingevaluationmeetingsoccurredregularlywitheachofthethreeCEIpartnershipgroups(Education,ArtsandCulture,andCommunityHealth),toclarifyobjectivesandworktowardmeasurable,standardizedindicators.Datacollectionmechanismswereidentifiedtoassesstheseindicators,withthegoalofcapturingexistingdataaswellasunderstandingthebestmechanismsforaccessingexistingdataoncampusandinthecommunity.Surveyquestionsweredevelopedinthefifthstepofsurveydevelopmentthroughbothreviewing
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existingtoolsanddevelopinguniquequestionstailoredtoUDandsurroundingcommunities.ThesixthstepinvolvedsurveyquestionreviewbyleadershipatUDacrossallpartnershipteams,andthefinalstepconsistedofquestionpilotingwithasubsetofstudents,faculty,staffandcommunitypartners.Confusingorpotentiallyredundantquestionswereeliminatedorrefined,andthesecondroundofpilotingtookplace.
Thestudentsurveyis28questionsandthreepageslongandcontainsbothqualitativeopen-endedquestionsandquantitativequestions(seeAppendixforentiresurvey).Thestudentsurveyhasthreeprimaryobjectives:(1)understandtheperceivedeasebywhichstudentscanbecomeinvolvedincommunityengagedresearchandscholarship,(2)measurethequantityofexistingopportunitiesforparticipationincommunityengagement,and(3)assessstudentawarenessofspecificactiveinstitutionalcommunityengagementprograms.
SurveydatacollectedfromUDstudentswillbeutilizedtodirectlymeasuretheobjectivesidentifiedinthelogicmodel;thoughadditionaldataisalsocollectedfromotherexistingsources(i.e.,researchandadministrativesources).Withinthecontextofthelogicmodel,thisdatainformsandimprovestheworktomeetUD’sgoalsforitsCEI.Further,wehavedevelopedthetoolswiththeintentionofdissemination,supportingmutuallybeneficialcommunityengagement.
PARTICIPANTS
RespondentswereidentifiedforthestudentsurveyusingUDinternallists.Studentsurveywassenttoallcurrentundergraduateandgraduatestudentsandincludedascreenerquestiontodetermineifparticipantswere18yearsold.Participantswhoindicatedtheywereyoungerthan18wereexcludedfromparticipatinginthesurvey.Sevenpercent(n=1,756)ofstudentsrespondedtothesurvey,though804submittedcompleteresponses.
DatacollectionforthestudentsurveyconsistedofemailcontactandremindersfromUD’sProvost,Dr.RobinMorgan,afterwhichthesurveyremainedopenforapproximatelytwomonths.AllstudentswerecontactedbyProvostMorganinSeptember2019andaskedtoparticipateintherespectivesurveysviaemail.SurveyswerecreatedandadministeredthroughQualtricsandremainedopenfromSeptemberthroughNovember,duringwhichProvostMorganemailedparticipationreminderstothestudentbody.
SURVEY QUESTIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
Studentswerenotallowedtocompletetherestofthesurveyiftheyansweredthattheywereunder18.Whilesurveyparticipantsremainedanonymous,studentsrespondedtoaseriesofdemographiccharacteristicquestionswhichprovideinsightintorespondent’sgender,collegeand
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departmentalaffiliation,andyearofstudy.Thesequestionswereuniquetothestudentsurvey.Responsesgiveinsightintothegeneraldemographiclandscapeofstudentrespondents.
OVERALL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK
Acrossallthreesurveys,respondentswereaskedtogivearatingona10-pointLikertscalefrom1(poor)to10(excellent)ofUD’scommunityengagementwork,andtheywereaskedtoassesstheirattitudetowardsUD’sworkinthecommunity,whetherithasimproved,declined,orstayedthesame.
THINKING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES
Studentswerealsoaskedtoratetheextenttowhichtheywouldagreewith17statementsregardingtheeffectiveness,scope,andcommunicationofcommunityengagementeffortsona4-pointLikertscalefrom1(stronglydisagree)to4(stronglyagree).Thesequestionsgagestudents’perceptionoftheUniversity’scivicengagementwork.Forexample,“Itiseasyformetocompletenecessarypaperworktobecomeapprovedtoparticipateincommunity-basedresearchexperienceswithchildren.(i.e.,criminalbackgroundchecks)”and“IhaveworkedwithacommunitygrouporpartnerwhileatUD”.Manyofthesequestionsarecommonacrossallthreesurveys,allowingforcomparisonbetweengroups.Forexample,“EquitymatterstoUDwhenitcomestoitscommunitywork”and“UDdoesnotunderstandthecriticalorunmetneedsofcommunitiesinDelaware”.
EXTENT OF ENGAGEMENT
Respondentswereaskedfivequestionsabouttheextentofstudents’communityengagementoverthepastyear,requiringrespondentstoquantifythefrequencyoftheircollaborativeefforts(e.g.,“Inthepast12months,howmanypresentationshaveyouattendedregardingcommunityengagedscholarship?”)andthenatureoftheircommunityengagedwork.Inaddition,respondentswereaskedtoquantifythenumberofengagedcoursestheyhavetaken,thenumberofcommunityengagedactivitiestheyhaveparticipatedin,andthenumberofpresentationstheyhavegivenregardingcommunityengagedscholarship.Studentswerealsopromptedtogiveayesornoanswertotheirinvolvementinawidevarietyofcommunityengagedactivitiesavailableonandoffcampus.
DATA ANALYSIS
QuantitativedatawereanalyzedusingSPSSv26.Descriptivestatisticswereusedtodescribethebasicfeaturesofthedataandprovidesummariesoftherangeofvariablesexamined.Initialcodesweredevelopedbyreadingasubsampleofresponsesandusingline-by-linecoding,andcodescontinuedtobedevelopedandrefinedthroughoutthecodingprocess.Inordertoimproveinter-raterreliabilityandensurecodingaccuracyamongallthreecoders,codesweregiven
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anexplicitdefinition.Allcodingdiscrepancieswerediscussedamongallthreecodersandwereresolvedbyreachingaconsensus.SalientthemesareprovidedintheFindingssection.
FINDINGS
QUANTITATIVE
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
Table1presentsthedemographiccharacteristicsofthesample.Undergraduatestudentshadthehighestresponserate(79%).Graduatestudentsrespondedatamuchlowerrate(19%).Theremaining2%ofstudentspickedthe“Other”choiceandgaveexplanationsoftheirstudentstatussuchasauditorortransferstudents.
Thesurveygaveeightcollegeaffiliationsforthestudentstochoosetoconnectthemselvesto.ThetopfourcollegeaffiliationsofstudentrespondentsweretheCollegeofArtsandSciences(31%),theCollegeofEngineering(17%),theAlfredLernerCollegeofBusinessandEconomics(14%),andtheCollegeofHealthSciences(11%).
Sixty-threepercentofthestudentrespondentsidentifiedasfemale.Ascreenerquestionidentifiedifstudentrespondentswereovereighteenanddisallowedthe2%ofrespondentswhowerenoteighteenfromparticipating.
OVERALL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK
Studentswereaskedtoratetheuniversity’scommunityengagementbygivinganumberonascalefrom1to10,a1signifiedpoorcommunityengagementwhile10recognizedexcellentcommunityengagementefforts.Overall,themeanwas7.28(Mode=8;SD=1.882),seeTable2andFigure2.
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Figure2.StudentCommunityEngagementRating,2019
Additionally,studentswereaskedtoreflectupontheirattitudetowardstheuniversity’sworkinthecommunitywithinthepreviousyear,andsignifiedwhethertheyfeltitimproved,declined,orstayedthesame.Forty-eightpercentofstudentsfelttheuniversity’sworkimproved,whileonly3%saiditdeclined,seeTable3.
EXPERIENCES WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Studentswereaskedtoreflectonthepast12monthswhenrespondingtothefollowingstatements,seeTable4.Theythenwereaskedtoindicatewhetherornottheyagreedwiththestatementsbychoosingnumbersona4-pointLikertscalefrom1(stronglydisagree)to4(stronglyagree).
CommontrendsseenwithinthedatawerethestudentsfeltthatUDdidalotofworkwithinthecommunity,buttheydidnotknowhowtheythemselvescouldbecomeinvolvedinthoseefforts.Studentsalsothoughtitwasdifficulttogetinvolvedincommunityengagedworkwithintheirclasses.Studentswereaskediftheyfeltitwaseasyforthemtogetinvolvedwithresearchattheuniversity.Ofthestudentswhoresponded,80%saidthattheyfelttheywereabletogetinvolved.
Respondents’answersalsodetailedtheirinvolvementincommunityengagementactivitiesthroughouttheirtimeattheUniversity.About52%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthattheyknewhowtofindcoursesthatare“communityengaged”,demonstratinganearlyevensplitbetweenstudentsawareandunawareofcommunityengagedcourseofferings.Similartrends
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appearedacrossotheraspectsofstudents’communityengagementinvolved.About57%ofstudentshadworkedwithacommunitygrouporpartnerandabout56%ofstudentssaiditwasdifficulttogetinvolvedinoff-campuscommunityengagementopportunitiessupportedbytheUniversity.
Responsesalsogagedthedegreetowhichstudentsthoughtprofessorssupportcommunityengagementintheirclasses.Seventy-ninepercentofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatprofessorsatUDarecommunityminded.Anevenhigherportionofstudents,86%,agreedorstronglyagreedthatcommunity-mindedstudentsweresupportedbythefaculty.Fifty-fivepercentofstudentshowever,feltthatitwasdifficultforthemtogetinvolvedwithcommunity-engagedworkwithUDfaculty.
ThesurveyaskedstudentsiftheythoughtUDdidnotunderstandthecriticalorunmetneedsofcommunitiesinDelaware.Intotal,61%ofthestudentseitherdisagreedorstronglydisagreed,meaningtheyfeltthattheUniversitydoesunderstandtheneedsofthecommunity.Furthermore,about86%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatequitymatterstoUD,seeFigure3.
Figure3.StudentResponsesRegardingEquity
Throughoutthesurvey,studentswereaskediftheywereawareofvariouspartnerships
thattheUniversityisinvolvedin.Only35%ofstudentswereawareofthePartnershipforPublicEducation.However,whenquestionedaboutthePartnershipforHealthyCommunities,aslightly
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higherpercentageofstudents,43%,wereawareofthepartnership.Asimilarrateof39%ofstudentswereawareofthePartnershipforArtsandCulture.
Students’answersrecognizedabroadlyfavorableperceptionofUD’sinvolvementwiththecommunity.Responsesalsoshowedauniformityofgoodperceptionsacrossdifferentareasofinvolvement.About90%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthattheUniversitysupportsartsandculturalactivitiesinthestate.Similarly,about87%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatUDsupportsK-12educationwithinthestateandabout86%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatUDsupportscommunity-basedpublichealthinDelaware.Alesserportionofstudents,thoughstillthelargemajority,indicatedspecificawarenessofUD’sinvolvementacrossDelawarecommunities.About65%ofstudentrespondentsagreedorstronglyagreedthattheyhadagoodsenseoftheworkUDdoesinthecommunity.
EXTENT OF ENGAGEMENT
StudentswereaskedtoreflectontheirexperiencesatUDwithinthepastyear,seeTable5.Surveyquestionsdirectedstudentstoreportonthenumberofcoursestheyhadtakenthatincludedcommunityoutreachorengagementactivities.Resultsindicatedveryfewstudentshadenrolledincommunity-engagedcourses,M=.91,SD=1.782,Mode=0,Min/Max=0-15.Moststudentsreportedpublishingzeroarticlesorreportsthatwouldclassifyas“community-engagedscholarship”,M=.36,SD=1.728,Mode=0,Min/Max=0-29.Similarly,fewstudentsreportedgivinganypresentationsregardingcommunityengagedscholarship,M=.4,SD=1.598,Mode=0,Min/Max=0-30.Additionally,studentswereaskediftheyhadparticipatedincommunity-engagementactivitythroughUDwhichwaslocatedoffcampusandintendedtobenefitthecommunity.Fivepercentofthestudentssaidtheyhadbeeninvolvedincommunityengagementthroughastudyabroadprogram,8%haddoneacommunity-basedresearchproject,26%completedvolunteerworkorcommunityservice,and3%hadbeeninvolvedinsomeotherkindofcommunityengagementwork.Theremaining58%ofstudentrespondentshadnotparticipatedinacommunity-engagementactivitythroughUD.
OPEN-ENDED FEEDBACK
StudentsaregenerallyenthusiasticabouttheCommunityEngagementworkUDundertakesandseetheUniversityasactivelyengagedwiththesurroundingcommunity,whichforthem,isprimarilythroughstudentgroupsoncampusandtosomeextentthroughcoursesandresearchopportunities.However,theynoteconcernsforengagement,particularlyforthoseoffcampus,graduatestudents,withoutacar,orwithadisability.Theywantmoreaccesstoinformationabouthowtobeinvolved,andwanttoo,toknowmoreaboutthewaystheworkismakingadifference.
Studentswereaskedtoprovideadditionalthoughts,advice,orfeedbackaboutUD’scommunityengagement.ThesenarrativeresponseswerecarefullyreviewedusingDedooseTM,
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resultingintwelvethemeswhichwerefurthergroupedintofivecategories(i.e.,Strengths,Weaknesses,Barriers,Recommendations,SurveyTool,seeTable6).
STRENGTHS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT UD
StudentsoftenreportedonthestrengthsofUD’scommunityengagementefforts,suchascommunityengagementhappeningoncampusandthroughoutthestate:
“...ItseemsthatUDisveryinvolvedinthecommunity.IhadtheopportunitytoparticipateintheBlueHenDayofServicewhichwasanawesomeopportunitytoworkinthecommunity.Overall,Iwouldsaythattheseopportunitiesareavailable,andIplanonparticipatinginmoreinthefuture.”
“IknowthatUDisbroadlyinvolvedineducation,health,andtheartsinthesurroundingcommunity.”
“IthinkUDisdoingagreatjobwithcommunityengagement.”
Inaddition,respondentsprovidedexamplesofsuccessfulcommunityengagementinitiatives:
“UD'ssupportofOsherLifelongLearningInstituteisanexemplarofcommunityengagement.”
“Iamawareofcommunityengagementandoutreacheffortsthroughmydepartment.Specifically,volunteeringonDBI[DelawareBiotechnologyInstitute]campustoshowcasesciencetohighschoolstudentsfromDelaware.”
“TheUniversityofDelawareEmergencyCareUnitengageswiththeUDcommunityandtheNewarkcommunityeachandeveryday...IhavebeenapartofthisorganizationduringmyentiretimehereatUDandithasbeenveryrewardinginprovidingaservicetothecampusandsurroundingcommunity.”
STUDENTS WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Respondentswereenthusiasticandstatedtheywantedtobecomeinvolvedwithcurrentandfutureinitiatives:
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“Iwouldliketoknowmoreabouthowtoparticipateinfacultyresearchorcommunityinitiatives.”
“Neverheardofmostofthisstuffbefore.Interestedinparticipating[inCommunityEngagement]butunawareofresourcesorwheretobegin.Noideathatotherpeoplewereeventryingtodothingslikethis.”
“IwouldliketoknowmoreaboutUD'scommunityengagementeffortsandthebestwaystogetinvolved.”
WEAKNESSES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT UD UD SHOULD MAKE A STRONGER COMMITMENT TO WORK MORE CLOSELY AND WITH GROUPS OUTSIDE OF NEWARK
Afewstudentswrotethatthereareareasthatcouldbenefitfromadditionalcommunityengagementopportunities:
“WhileIdothinkthatUDworkswithinthecommunity,theyarenotreachinggroupsoutsideofthecityofNewarkitself.”
“Fortheamountofmoneythatthisschoolhas,Ifeelliketheycandoatonmoreofoutreachwithinthesurroundingcommunity.”
STUDENTS WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREADTH OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Upperclassmanandgraduatestudentsexpressedconcernsaboutbeinguninformedaboutexistingcommunityengagementopportunities:
“Asagraduatestudent,Iamalmostcompletelyunawareofanycommunityeventsthatengagestudentsorfacultyasidefromtheyearlyeventsthedepartmentholds.IamunawareofthepartnersoftheUDcommunity.”
“IhavegonetoUDfor3yearsandhavenotheardaboutanycommunityoutreachorhowtogetinvolvedwiththeseprojects.”
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BARRIERS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT UD LIMITS ON STUDENTS PARTICIPATION - STUDENTS EXPRESSED A NEED TO ENSURE EQUALITY IN PARTICIPATION
Asubstantialnumberofstudentsexpressedthattheyfeltthatbeingagraduatestudentorlivingoffcampusinhibitedtheirabilitytoparticipateincommunityengagement:
“Ifeellikecommunityengagementopportunitiesareverywellknownandhandedtoundergradsbutneedtobemoreavailabletogradstudents.”
“AsaLewesstudent,IamgivenlittlewarningofopportunitiesupNorthforengagementandhaveseendenialofassistancefrommaincampuswithrespecttocentralandsoutherninitiatives.Cohesionislackinganddesperatelyneededtogivethesecommunitieswhattheyneed.”
“IamnotasengagedoruptodateonwhatUDdoesbecauseIcommute2hourstotheuniversity.”
Inaddition,manystudentsfeltthatcommunityengagementinitiativeswerenotinclusivebasedondisabilityandraceorbeingatransferstudent.
“Theinformationisdifficulttofindandwhenitisavailablethereiszeroindicationoniftheactivityisaccessibleforthosewithmobilityissuesorotheraccessibilityneeds(i.e.,hearingimpaired,etc.)IwouldlovetobemoreinvolvedbuthavelearnedthatUDisterribleaboutinclusivitywhenitcomestoevenconsideringcreatingaccessibleevents.”
"Itaughtacoursewithaservice-learningcomponentEDUC205[Education205-HumanDevelopment:GradesK-8]wherestudentsgointocommunitycenterstogetexperiencewithchildren.Ifeelasthoughwelackpropertrainingtonavigatethoughtfuldiscussionswithstudentsontheracial/SES[SocioeconomicStatus]circumstancestheywillbeexperiencing.Also,UDcouldsupporttheseprogramswithadditionalstafftrainingsothatweareexposingourstudentstohighqualitychildcareandchild/staffinteractions.”
“Thecommunityneedstobemoreavailableinteachingnew,incomingstudents(ofallages)howtogetmoreinvolved.Asatransfer,ithasbeenverydifficulttogetengaged-eventhoughIamcravingto...”
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 18 of 35
LACK OF STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
Studentsalsostatedthatalacktransportationlimitstheirabilitytopartakeincommunityengagementactivities:
“It'sincrediblydifficulttogetinvolvedinoff-campusservicebecauseofthelackoftransportation.”
“It’sdifficulttogetoffcampusandinthecommunitywhenthereisnowayofgettingthere.Youneedtobeapartofalargegroupandhaveacarpooltogettotheseevents.”
NOT ENOUGH TIME TO PARTICIPATE
Inaddition,studentsmentionedthattheydonothavethetimeand/ordonotlearnabouteventsinenoughtimetoparticipate:
“Communityengagementexistsandiseasyforstudentstobeawareof,butsomestudentsmaynothavethetimetofullycommit.”
“IthinkUDisdoingagreatjobwithcommunityengagement,Ijustdon'thaveenoughtimetoparticipate.”
“[Theway]Ifindoutaboutprogramsandactivitiesisviaemail,butI’vefrequentlyfoundthattheseemailscomeabout2daysbeforetheevent,soIeithercannotattendduetopriorengagements,orIamnotinterestedenoughtoattend.”
LACK OF ADVERTISEMENT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Furthermore,studentsexpressedthattheyrarelyknowaboutevents:
“Ithinkit’sstrong,butitneedsmorevisibility.Iknowthese[communityengagement]opportunitiesexist,Ijustdon’tknowwhereIcanfindthem.”
“Actually,Iamanewgraduatestudenthere.Formostofmytime,Idomyowncoursework.Ihavenotparticipatedinanycommunityengagementsofar.MaybebecauseIdidnotreceivethenotification,orIdidnotunderstandthespecificcontent.”
“IthinkthereneedstobemoreawarenessabouttheUDcommunityandhowit'shelpingothercommunitiesbecauseIdon'tthinkit'snecessarilyaccessibleatthispoint.Ihaven't
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 19 of 35
heardmuchaboutthistopiconcampusandI'mnotsurehowtogetinvolvedincommunityengagementclasses,butitsoundslikeareallyinterestingopportunity.”
“IbelieveUDhasimprovedwithprovidingmorecommunityengagementactivitiesandevents,however,IbelieveUDcoulddomorethanjustsendusemailoftheseevents,insteadprovidemoreposters/flyerswherethesemessagesdon'tenduplostinouremails.”
Onthecontrary,afewrespondentsstatethatthereisalackofadvertisingforcommunityengagement:
“AsaNewarklocal,Idon'tseehowtheUniversityofDelawareworkswiththecommunityofNewark.Iftherearecommunityprograms,theyaren'tadvertisedwellorhaveasignificantenoughimpactformetonoticethem.”
“Eithertheseopportunitiesarenotwelladvertised/talkedaboutorpeoplewhoareengagedwiththemdidn'thavearemarkableexperienceinwhichtheywantedtoshare."
RECOMMENDATIONS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT UD EXPAND THE SCOPE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
StudentsprovidedrecommendationsaboutwheretherecouldbemorecommunityengagementopportunitiesatUD.Forexample,onestudentmentionedtheAssociatesoftheArtsprogram:
“IfeelliketheAssociatesoftheArtsprogramneedsanengagement,club,fraternitythatdoesvolunteerwork.”
AnotherrespondentdiscussedtheFraternityandSororityLeadershipandLearning(FSLL)office:
“MyrecommendationistoreachouttotheFSLLofficeoncampusandaskabouttheirorganizations'communityinvolvement,andhowtheUniversitycanhavealargerhandinhelpingthemachievetheirgoals.”
Finally,astudentidentifiedrecommendationsforglobalexperiences:
“IthinkUDneedstobemoreproactiveinincludingaglobalaspecttoitscommunityengagementstrategy.Oneexamplewouldbetoassistforeignstudentsinbetternavigatingthecommunityanditsresources,aswellasfacilitatemoreinterculturalandglobal
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 20 of 35
initiativeswiththecommunityforthebettermentofstudentexperience.UDcouldalsofacilitatemoreglobalcommunityserviceprojects.”
IMPROVE ADVERTISING OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Manystudentsrecommendedwaystoimprovecommunicationandadvertisingrelatedtocommunityengagementattheuniversity:
“Theuseofsocialmediaisagreatwaytoimprovecommunityengagement!”
“Iftherewasagroup/centerwithintheUniversitywhichregularlysentemailsorinformationaboutdifferentthingsthenIthinkthatwouldbebest.”
“...gettingstudentsinvolvedincommunityengagementmightbemorelikelytooccurifthereweremoreemails/posters/announcements/etcabouteventsthatstudentscouldparticipateinormightliketohearabout.”
SURVEY TOOL SUGGESTIONS THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS BROAD AND WHAT IT INCLUDES CAN BE UNCLEAR
Studentsrecommendedprovidingmorespecificinformationinthesurveystoenhancetheirunderstandingofcommunityengagement:
“Idonotunderstandwhat‘communityengagement’isdefinedasanddonotknowwhatthissurveywasaskingmeabout.”
“Thequestionsinthissurveyfeeltoonon-specificandtoogeneral.Itishardtopinpointexactlywhatismeantbyeachquestionorwhatwouldqualifyaseachoftheaspectsaskedabout.Includingexampleswitheachquestion/statementorlistingactualeventsthatcanbeselectedfrommightbemoreeffective.”
INCLUDE A NEUTRAL OPTION FOR SURVEY QUESTIONS
Anothersuggestionwastoincludea“neitheragreenordisagree”option.Onestudentsaid:
“Forfuturesurveys,Iwouldsuggesttheintroductionofa‘neitheragreenordisagree’optionfortheradio-buttonquestionsonthepreviouspage.Thiswouldtend,basedonmyunderstandingoftheanswersIwantedtogive,todecreasetheimpressionofdichotomywithinstudents'answers.”
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 21 of 35
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS AND REFLECTIONS
DatacollectedfromstudentsprovidesvaluableinsightastheUniversitymovesforwardwithcontinuedcommunityengagementeffortsandlookstobuildupontherelationshipstheseeffortscreate.ThismeasurementofUD’scommunityengagedworkbystakeholderperceptionshasprovedtobeauniqueandnovelundertakingincommunityengagedscholarshipacrossthecountry.TheprocesshasbroughtaboutvaluableconversationsaboutongoingstrategicapproachesthattheUniversityistakingtoexpandandemphasizecommunityengagement.Resultshavedemonstratedtheimportanceofelevatingpartnershipworkasacriticaloutreachentityineachoftheseareas.Inresponsetosurveyfeedback,sevenmajorrecommendationshavebeenidentified:
1. Clarifyandexpandawarenessofwhatcommunityengagementis,whyitisvalued,andhowitcanlookacrosscollegesanddepartments,aswellasstudentgroups,perhapsincludingRSOleaderorientation.LeveragingtheexpertiseofleadersatUD’sCEIthroughanexpansionoftheireffortsmayhelptoexpandinstitutionalawarenessandbroadervaluingofcommunityengagementasanintegralpieceoftheUniversity’sroleinthewiderDelawarecommunity.Inadditiontomainstreamchannelsofengagementefforts,resultscallforinclusionaryCEoutreachthatpromotesvisibilityandcapacityforCEinotheravenuesofstudentactivity.Inordertofostermoreintentionalandlastingcommunityengagedeffortswithinstudentgroups,visibilityofCEmustbepromotedbothonandoffcampus.StudentRSOsincludingbutnotlimitedtoGreeklife,UDAB,andotherintermediarygroupsarealreadyactivelyengagingstudentsinCEwork.Strategiccoordination,however,couldbeutilizedtoincorporateCEintoRSOpresidentandtreasurertrainingasanefforttomorefundamentallyestablishCEwithintheworkingframeworkofRSOs.Furthermore,existingRSOscanleveragetheirplatformstoexpandCEthroughotheron-campusgroupsliketheEnglishLanguageInstitute(ELI).CEawarenessshouldbeincorporatedintomeetingslikeELIcoffeehourstoaddressgapsinthestudentbody’sCEawarenessandinteractionwithCE.
2. ConsideracommunityengagementregularfeatureinTheReviewandUDaily.Oneoftheprimarychallengesstudentsidentifiedtocommunityengagementeffortsrevolvedaroundthecommunicationanddisseminationofcommunityengagementefforts.TheReview,UD’sstudentnewspaper,andUDaily’sbroad-reachingcoverageoftheseeffortscantranslateCEachievementforawide-rangeofreaders,includingprospectivestudentsandtheirfamiliestoincreaseawarenessandinvolvement.AsakeypartoftheUniversity’sOfficeofCommunicationsandMarketing,thesesourcesshouldconsideraregularfeatureontheUniversity’scommunityengagement.
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 22 of 35
3. Identifyonecentralweb-basedlocationwherecommunityengagementactivitiesandopportunitiesacrosstheUniversitycanbelocated.Informationshouldbeeasilyaccessibletostudentsinasinglelocationonline,includinginformationonhowtobecomeengagedandinformationoncommunityengagedcourses.Respondentsrecognizedaneedforcommunityengagementinformationtobeeasilyaccessibleinasinglelocation.Mostoften,studentswerelookingspecificallyforinformationonhowtobecomeengagedinexistingefforts.Someofthisinformation,includingupcomingevents,partnershipactivities,andareasofinvolvementhasbeenavailableonUD’sCEIwebsite(https://www.cei.udel.edu/).Theseresourcesspecificallydesignateinformationforstudentstoassistinthesuccessfulimplementation,assessmentanddisseminationofscholarlycommunityengagedprojects.Currently,thestudentbody’sawarenessoftheseresourcesremainslow.LeveragingtheexpertiseofleadersatUD’sCEIthroughanexpansionoftheireffortsmayhelpinreachingstudentswithCEresourcesandinformation.
4. Clarifyhowstudentscanworkincoordinationwithandsupportestablishedpartnerships.ItisimportanttobuilduponUD’sCEIaimstoexpandtheUniversity’sroleincultivatingactivecitizensthroughpartnershipsthatimpactcivicneeds.InadditiontotheneedforacentralhubforCE,theseresultsdemonstrateaneedtoimproveadvertisementsofcurrentandfutureinitiatives.Since2013,UD’swidespreadengagementincommunitiesaroundDelawarehasbecomeafundamentalpieceoftheUniversity’simagetoitspartners.Inthefuture,respondentsrecognizedtheneedtoincreaseawarenessoftheuniversity’sengagementeffortsbypartneringwithcommunicationsandmarketingdepartments.
5. Re-visitterminologyrelatedtocivicengagement,partnerships,andcommunityengagementtoensureconsistencyinmessagingacrosstheUniversity.Respondentsanswersshowthatconfusionremainsamongstudentsregardingwhatcommunityengagementisandhowtoqualifytheseeffortsinpractice.ThiscallsforareturntoclarificationoftheterminologydisseminatedacrosstheUniversity.TheCEIshouldbroadlyspearheadthisconsistentmessagingalthoughwidercommunicationsandmarketingefforts,possiblyledbyUDaily,arealsoneededtomorebroadlycommunicatethenatureofcommunityengagementattheUniversity.
6. Increasetransportationandadditionalaccessibilityresourcestofacilitatestudents’abilitytoparticipateincommunityengagementactivities.Ahighrateofstudentrespondentsidentifiedthelackoftransportationasahindrancetotheirabilitytoparticipateincommunityengagement.Itisimportantthataccessibilityissuesdonotexcludestudentslivingoff-campusorthosestudyingatsatellitecampusesfrom
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 23 of 35
participatinginengagedeffortsandactivities.TomakeCEmoreaccessibletooff-campusandsatellitestudents,theUniversityshouldprovidetransportationandotherinformationalresourcestogivethesestudentsthesameengagementopportunitieson-campushousedstudentsareexposedto.
7. Createprofessionaldevelopmentlearningopportunitiesforstudents(i.e.,materialsatorientation),perhapsincoordinationwithRSOleaders,toadvancestudents'understandingofcommunityengagementatUD,suchaswhatthepartnershipsareandhowtobecomeinvolved.WiderdisseminationofUD’sCEIresources,throughanexpansionoftheireffortsandcoordinationwithstudentleaders,mayhelpinreachingstudentswithCEIresources.Specifically,integratingstudentdelegatesintotheCommunityEngagementCouncilwouldhelptodevelopthecapacityforthestudentbody’sinvolvementinCE.AcceleratingandexpandingCEIpartnershipsandscopewouldconnectstudentstoexistingandfutureopportunities.
ThisdatahasyieldednewandvaluableinformationfornewcommunityengagementworkatUDandastheUniversitycontinuestoexpandcommunityengagementwork,thisannualsurveywillmonitorchangingstakeholderperceptionsofthatwork.Inthefuture,thisresearchcouldbeexpandedtoindividualandrespectiveinvolvementinspecificactivitiesandeventsinordertofurtherenhanceourunderstandingbeyondamorebroad-basedpictureofcommunityengagement.ThechallengesandsuccessesidentifiedwithinthisandotherstakeholderreportsrecognizetheimportantroleofthisdatacollectionasacommitmenttotheincreasedscopeofcommunityengagedworkatUD,instartingmoreconversationsaroundcommunityengagementandusingdataanalysisinbroaderways.
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 24 of 35
REFERENCES AssociationofPublicandLand-grantUniversities.(2020,February4).2020Carnegiecommunity
engagementclassificationrecipientsannounced.https://www.aplu.org/news-and-media/blog/2020-carnegie-community-engagement-classification-recipients-announced
CivicEngagementBenchmarkingTaskForce.(2005).Resourceguideandrecommendationsfordefiningandbenchmarkingengagement.CICCommitteeonEngagementincollaborationwithNationalAssociationofStateUniversitiesandLandGrantColleges:CouncilonExtension,ContinuingEducation,andPublicServiceBenchmarkingTaskForce.Pp.2.http://www.cic.uiuc.edu/groups/CommitteeOnEngagement/index.shtml
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 25 of 35
Table1
DemographicCharacteristicsofRespondents
SurveyQuestions ResponseOptions Percent
Q26.PleaseselectthecategorythatbestdescribesyourstudentstatusatUD:(n=761)a
UndergraduateFreshman 35.6%
UndergraduateSophomore 18.1%
UndergraduateJunior 12.9%
UndergraduateSeniororSuperSenior 12.2%
GraduateDoctoralStudent 9.9%
GraduateMastersStudent 9.3%
OtherStudentType: 2.0%
Q27.Pleaseselectthecollege(s)thatbestdescribesyourdepartmentaffiliationwithintheUniversity:(n=759)
AlfredLernerCollegeofBusinessandEconomics
14.1%
CollegeofAgricultureandNaturalResources
5.5%
CollegeofArtsandSciences 31.2%
CollegeofEarth,Ocean,andEnvironment 5.4%
CollegeofEducationandHumanDevelopment
9.2%
CollegeofEngineering 17.1%
CollegeofHealthSciences 11.3%
Other–pleasedescribe 4.0%
Q28.Whatisyourgender?(n=761)
Female 62.9%
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 26 of 35
Male 34.2%
Non-Binary/ThirdGender 0.8%
Prefertoself-describe 0.5%
Prefernottosay 1.6%
Note.aPercentagesdonotaddupto100becausestudentswereaskedtocheckallthatapply.
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 27 of 35
Table2
RatingofUD’sCommunityEngagementWork
Q1.Onascaleof1to10where1ispoorand10isexcellent,howwouldyourateUD’scommunityengagementwork?(n=908)
ParticipantResponse Percent
1 1.4%
2 1.0%
3 1.8%
4 1.7%
5 10.3%
6 11.8%
7 25.7%
8 9.4%
9 9.3%
10 14.0%
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 28 of 35
Table3
AttitudeTowardUD’sWorkintheCommunityinthePastYear
Q2.Inthepastyear,hasyourattitudetowardUD’sworkinthecommunityimproved,declined,orstayedthesame(n=908)
ParticipantResponse Percent
Improved 38.0%
StayedtheSame 59.0%
Declined 3.0%
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 29 of 35
Table4
ExtenttoWhichStudentsAgreeorDisagreewithStatementaboutCommunityEngagement
Thinkingaboutyourexperienceoverthepast12months,towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatements:Indicatehowstronglyyouagreewiththefollowingstatementsona1-4scalewith1being“Stronglydisagree”,2“Disagree”,3“Agree”,4“Stronglyagree”.
SurveyQuestions StronglyDisagree
Disagree Agree StronglyAgree
n
Q3.Itiseasyformetocompletenecessarypaperworktobecomeapprovedtoparticipateincommunity-basedresearchexperienceswithchildren.(i.e.Criminalbackgroundchecks).
44.5% 12.0% 58.8% 24.7% 616
Q4.ItiseasyformetobecomeengagedinresearchatthisUniversity.
4.7% 14.7% 58.3% 22.2% 761
Q5.IamawareofthePartnershipforPublicEducationatUD.
24.9% 40.7% 25.6% 8.7% 761
Q6.IamawareofthePartnershipforHealthyCommunitiesatUD.
21.8% 33.8% 33.1% 11.3% 843
Q7.IamawareofthePartnershipforArtsandCultureatUD.
24.3% 36.9% 30.2% 8.5% 834
Q8.Iunderstandhowtofindcoursesthatare“communityengaged”.
14.9% 32.9% 39.3% 12.9% 847
Q9.IhaveworkedwithacommunitygrouporpartnerwhileatUD.
13.0% 29.5% 37.2% 20.3% 787
Q10.UDsupportsartsandculturalactivitiesinthestate.
2.5% 8.1% 62.1% 27.3% 828
Q11.IhaveagoodsenseoftheworkUDisdoinginthecommunity.
7.0% 27.9% 49.0% 16.1% 853
Q12.UDsupportsK-12educationinthestate.
3.4% 10.3% 63.6% 22.7% 740
Q13.UDsupportscommunity-basedpublichealthinthestate.
2.8% 11.4% 65.7% 20.1% 756
Q14.EquitymatterstoUDwhenitcomestoitscommunitywork.
3.9% 9.8% 62.4% 23.9% 768
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 30 of 35
Q15.ProfessorsatUDarecommunity-minded.
49% 16.0% 60.8% 18.3% 823
Q16.Communitymindedstudentsaresupportedbythefaculty.
2.5% 9.3% 62.6% 25.6% 800
Q17.UDdoesnotunderstandthecriticalorunmetneedsofcommunitiesinDelaware.
12.2% 48.9% 27.7% 11.2% 730
Q18.Itisdifficultformetoparticipateinoff-campuscommunityengagementactivitiessupportedbytheUniversity.
6.6% 37.5% 41.9% 14.0% 767
Q19.ItisdifficultformetogetinvolvedwiththecommunityworkUDfacultyaredoing.
6.7% 38.2% 41.0% 13.7% 759
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 31 of 35
Table5
ExtentofEngagementwithUDinthePastYear
PleaseanswerthefollowingquestionsabouttheextentofyourengagementwithUDinthepastyear.
SurveyQuestions Mean Mode StandardDeviation
Min/Max n
Q20.Inthepast12months,howmanycourseshaveyoutakenthatincludedcommunityoutreachorengagementactivities?
0.91 0 1.782 0/15 765
Q21.Howmanyarticlesorreportshaveyoupublishedinthepast12monthswhichyouwouldclassifybroadlyas“community-engagedscholarship”?Pleaseexcludeanyunpublishedclasspapers.
0.36 0 1.728 0/29 765
Q22.Inthepast12months,howmanypresentationshaveyougivenregardingcommunityengagedscholarship?
0.40 0 1.598 0/30 765
Q23.Inthepast12months,howmanypresentationshaveyouattendedregardingcommunityengagedscholarship?
0.77 0 1.960 0/30 765
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 32 of 35
Table6
QualitativeSurveyDataCategoriesandThemes
Category Theme
StrengthsofCommunityEngagementatUD
StudentsWantMoreInformationabouttheBreadthofCommunityEngagementOpportunities
WeaknessesofCommunityEngagementatUD
UDShouldMakeaStrongerCommitmenttoWorkMoreCloselyandwithGroupsOutsideofNewark
StudentsWantMoreInformationAbouttheBreadthofCommunityEngagementOpportunities
BarrierstoCommunityEngagementatUD
LimitsonStudentParticipation-StudentsExpressedaNeedtoEnsureEqualityinParticipation
LackofStudentTransportation
NotEnoughTimetoParticipate
LackofAdvertisementofCommunityEngagementOpportunities
RecommendationstoOvercomeBarriersandImproveCommunityEngagementatUD
ExpandtheScopeofCommunityEngagementOpportunities
ImproveAdvertisingofCommunityEngagementSurveyToolSuggestions
TheDefinitionofCommunityEngagementisBroadandWhatitIncludesCanbeUnclear
IncludeaNeutralOptionforSurveyQuestions
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 33 of 35
APPENDIX StudentSurvey
Aspartofitscommitmenttocivicengagement,theUniversityofDelaware(UD)wouldlikeyourfeedbackaboutitscommunitywork.ResultsofthissurveywillbeincorporatedintofutureprogressreportsaboutUDcivicandcommunityengagementandusedtoguideplanningefforts.Thesurveywilltakelessthan5minutestocompleteandhasjust3easy-clickthroughpages.Thankyouforsharingyourthoughtsandperspectiveswithus.Iamover18
❏ Yes❏ No(Thankanddiscontinue)
Q1.Onascaleof1to10where1ispoorand10isexcellent,howwouldyourateUD’scommunityengagementwork?Q2.Inthepastyear,havethenumberofopportunitiesforstudentstobecomecommunityengagedincreased,decreased,orstayedthesame?
❏ Declined❏ Stayedthesame❏ Improved
Thinkingaboutyourexperienceoverthepast12months,towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatements:Indicatehowstronglyyouagreewiththefollowingstatementsona1-4scalewith1being“Stronglydisagree”,2“Disagree”,3“Agree”,4“Stronglyagree”.Q3.Itiseasyformetocompletenecessarypaperworktobecomeapprovedtoparticipateincommunity-basedresearchexperienceswithchildren(e.g.,criminalbackgroundchecks).Q4.ItiseasyformetobecomeengagedinresearchatthisUniversity.Q5.IamawareofthePartnershipforPublicEducationatUD.Q6.IamawareofthePartnershipforHealthyCommunitiesatUD.Q7.IamawareofthePartnershipforArtsandCultureatUD.Q8.Iunderstandhowtofindcoursesthatare“communityengaged”.Q9.IhaveworkedwithacommunitygrouporpartnerwhileatUD.Thinkingaboutyourexperienceoverthepast12months,towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatementsregardinggeneralcommunityengagementandperceptions?Indicatehowstronglyyouagreewiththefollowingstatementsona1-4scalewith1being“Stronglydisagree”,2“Disagree”,3“Agree”,4“Stronglyagree”.Q10.UDsupportsartsandculturalactivitiesinthestate.Q11.IhaveagoodsenseoftheworkUDisdoinginthecommunity.Q12.UDsupportsK-12educationinthestate.Q13.UDsupportscommunity-basedpublichealthinthestate.
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 34 of 35
Q14.EquitymatterstoUDwhenitcomestoitscommunitywork.Q15.ProfessorsatUDarecommunity-minded.Q16.Communitymindedstudentsaresupportedbythefaculty.Q17.UDdoesnotunderstandthecriticalorunmetneedsofcommunitiesinDelaware.Q18. It is difficult for me to participate in off-campus community engagement activitiessupportedbytheUniversity.Q19.ItisdifficultformetogetinvolvedwiththecommunityworkUDfacultyaredoing.
PleaseanswerthefollowingquestionsabouttheextentofyourengagementwithUDinthepastyear.Q20.Inthepast12months,howmanycourseshaveyoutakenthatincludedcommunityoutreachorengagementactivities?Q21.Howmanyarticlesorreportshaveyoupublishedinthepast12monthswhichyouwouldclassifybroadlyas“community-engagedscholarship”?Pleaseexcludeanyunpublishedclasspapers.Q22.Inthepast12monthshowmanypresentationshaveyougivenregardingcommunityengagedscholarship?Q23.Inthepast12monthshowmanypresentationshaveyouattendedregardingcommunityengagedscholarship?Q24.Inthepast12months,haveyouparticipatedinacommunity-engagementactivitythroughUDwhichwaslocatedoffcampusandintendedtobenefitthecommunity?
❏ Yes,studyabroadwhichincludedcommunityservice.❏ Yes,community-basedresearchproject.❏ Yes,volunteerworkorcommunityservice.❏ Yes,other:❏ No.
Q25.Pleaseprovideanyadditionalthoughts,advice,orfeedbackyouhaveaboutUD’scommunityengagementhere.Pleaseanswerthefollowingquestionsaboutyourself.Thesequestionswillconcludethesurvey.Q26.PleaseselectthecategorythatbestdescribesyourstudentstatusatUD:
❏ UndergraduateFreshman❏ UndergraduateSophomore❏ UndergraduateJunior❏ UndergraduateSeniororSuperSenior❏ GraduateMastersStudent❏ GraduateDoctoralStudent❏ OtherStudentType:______________
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy/Page 35 of 35
Q27.Pleaseselectthecollege(s)thatbestdescribesyourdepartmentaffiliationwithintheUniversity:
❏ CollegeofAgricultureandNaturalResources❏ CollegeofArtsandSciences❏ AlfredLernerCollegeofBusinessandEconomics❏ CollegeofEarth,Ocean,andEnvironment❏ CollegeofEducationandHumanDevelopment❏ CollegeofEngineering❏ CollegeofHealthSciences❏ Other–pleasedescribe:______________
Q28.Whatisyourgender?
❏ Female❏ Male❏ Non-Binary/ThirdGender❏ Prefertoself-describe:______________❏ Prefernottosay