Engaged Scholarship

Engaged Scholarship
UNC Charlotte faculty conduct
a wide range of engaged research
and participate in a diverse set of
engaged scholarly activities. Faculty
engagement refers to scholarly,
creative or pedagogical activities for
the broader public good. Such activities
(in the form of research, teaching, and/
or service) develop as collaborative
interactions that respond to short and
long-term societal needs. Importantly,
engaged research requires that local
knowledge, perspectives, and resources
be respected and valued as vital to the
production of knowledge and practical
solutions.
Scholarship
produced
as a result of such collaboration
demonstrates and expands current
knowledge of the discipline, invites
peer collaboration and review, is open
to critique, and is accessible.

service on each campus that is detailed

and specific in definition and scope.
iv The UNC Tomorrow Initiative
further suggests that the resources and
expertise of UNC faculty should be
used to address important community
and statewide issues, as well as apply
and translate research and scholarship
more directly to broader constituencies
focused on identified needs.v

In 2012, following a proposal from

the Provost, the UNC Charlotte
Faculty Council moved to revise the
universitys tenure and promotion
guidelines in the current Academic
Personnel Procedures Handbook to
reflect UNC Charlottes commitment
to community engaged scholarship,
teaching, and public service. This new
language now allows community-based
research conducted with local partners
to qualify as scholarship for tenure and
promotion purposes at the institutional
1
The UNC Tomorrow Initiative level. This philosophical shift brings
practices
encourages UNC institutions to community-engaged
solely
out
of
the
realm
of
service,
be leaders in developing stronger
and
allows
the
university
to
better
partnerships with the community
outside the institution by developing recognize these invaluable community
a strategic plan for scholarly public partnerships. The document drafted
by the Faculty Employment Status
Main Purpose of UNC Charlotte Faculty Committee and presented
to the Faculty Council
Community
Engagement
Main
Purpose of UNC Charlotte
Community EngagementActivities
Activities
highlighted UNC Charlottes
history of noteworthy public
Professional
outreach and sought to
Service
clarify
what
community
14%
25%
engagement means. Section
Public Service
VI.C of the handbook now
explicitly defines community
30%
engagement as research/
Research or
31%
creative activities, teaching,
Creative Activities and service activities that are
collaboratively
undertaken
Teaching
by faculty members with
community partners, staff,
Source:
and/or students through

processes that exemplify reciprocity in

partnerships and public purposes (see
text emphasized in bold italics in Box
____).
In revising the language regarding
community
engagement,
Faculty
Council was careful to protect the
high-quality standard of research
conducted by faculty, while allowing
for the consideration of community
engagement as an innovative approach
to scholarship and knowledge
production. The language is also broad
enough to preserve the academic
freedom of each college to recognize
discipline-specific
approaches
to community engagement. The
Handbook now states that although
the spectrum of engaged scholarship
and activities varies among disciplines,
engagement is planned and carried out
by University and community partners,
and includes:
Engaged scholarship: Scholarly efforts
to expand multifaceted intellectual
endeavor with commitment to public
practices and public consequences.
Engaged activities: Artistic, critical,
scientific and humanistic work that
influences, enriches and improves the
lives of people in the community. X
The new language draws a distinction
between community engagement that
would qualify as service and facultyinvolved research with the community
as a partner. Community Engagement
and Public Service (often referred to as
outreach) are often conflated because
both approaches may occur in the
community and include activities that
involve or serve community entities.
While the latter describes activities that
are provided to, intended for, or done
in communities, the former describes

Engaged Scholarship

The areas of performance in which a faculty member is reviewed for

reappointment, promotion, and conferral of permanent tenure are:
1) teaching, advising, curriculum and instructional development;
2) scholarly research, creative and other professional activities; and
3) service to the University, the profession, the public and/or the
community.
As required by Section 3.1 of the Tenure Document, the assessment of
the candidates performance in each of these areas addresses at least the
following:
(a) the faculty members demonstrated professional competence;
(b) potential for future contribution to UNC Charlotte; and
(c) institutional needs and resources.
Community engagement refers to research/creative activities,
teaching, and service activities that are collaboratively undertaken
by faculty members with community partners, staff, and/or students
through processes that exemplify reciprocity in partnerships and
public purposes.
Source:
activities that are undertaken with
community members in a context of
reciprocal partnership. Rather than
activity or place, the key distinction
between community engagement and
community service can be determined
by the processes and purposes that each
emphasizes. xi
Provost Joan Lorden asserts that
explicitly
including
community
engagement wording in tenure and
promotion
guidelines
articulates
the value the University places on
engagement, and makes the important
work that faculty are doing with
community partners more visible.
Community engagement can now
qualify, not only as service, but as any of
the three categories for promotion and
tenure including research and teaching
depending on the nature of work.

Daniel Hurley, director of state

relations and policy analysis at the
American Association of State Colleges
and Universities (AASCU), commends
these actions taken at UNC Charlotte
stating, It makes a tremendous amount
of common sense, and reaffirms
the public mission of these public
institutions by serving regional public
needs. xi
If deliberate and inclusive language
in UNC Charlottes tenure and
promotion
policy
reflects
the
outstanding
engagement
work
faculty are already doing, the UNC
System Community Engagement and
Economic Development Metrics are
a system-wide approach to capturing
and analyzing information on the
community engagement activities of
faculty, staff, and students at colleges
6

and universities across the state.

In May 2012, UNC President Tom
Ross commissioned two multicampus taskforces to develop concise
sets of indicators, or metrics, that all
UNC campuses could use to assess
progress in community engagement
and economic development3. The
development of system-wide indicators
are the first step to building the capacity
of General Administration, as well as
campuses individually, to understand
the full scope and impact of UNCs
engagement in and with the state of
North Carolina. Awareness of the types
of and extent of activities serves as
the first step towards being better able
to convey and strengthen the UNCs
reputation as a collaborative, inclusive,
responsible, and effective member
of North Carolina communities,
and strengthen and support UNCs
capacity to be strategic, proactive, and
responsive in developing, maintaining,
and celebrating mutually beneficial
community-university
connections
and partnerships.
The pilot process gathered information
on community engagement in research,
course offerings, service- learning, and
outreach activities as well as the number
of community members participating
in campus events that occurred during
the 2011- 2012 academic year.
During the pilot phase, twenty-nine
faculty and staff from ten colleges and
units on campus provided information
on their community engagement
projects. The faculty member reporting
the project can list more than one
purpose. Of the 29 projects reported, 18
projects were focused on public service,
18 projects were focused on research or
creative activities, and 15 projects were

Engaged Scholarship
focused on teaching. Eights projects
identified professional service as the
primary purpose. Tables 1 and 2 further
categorize the primary forms and foci
of community engagement activities
and projects as reported by faculty
members, depicting a diverse range of
projects.
Of the twenty-nine UNC Charlotte
projects outlined in Metric Three of
the the UNC System Community
Engagement
and
Economic
Development Metrics, a majority of
the projects specifically incorporated
student engagement. Figure ___
represents the nature of student
engagement in the reported projects.
Community engagement projects
provided platforms for student
involvement in research and volunteer
opportunities.
Service-Learning
Numerous studies highlight the
benefits of community engagement and
service-learning, as pedagogical and
co-curricular approaches to student
success, ... --literature
The UNC system collects data on
the number of students enrolled in
community-engaged and communitybased
courses
and
academic
learning experiences. UNC General
Administration differentiates between
community-engaged and communitybased learning.
Community-engaged learning involves
collaboration between institutions
of higher education and their larger
communities (local, regional/state,
national, global) for the mutually
beneficial exchange of knowledge and
resources in a context partnership and
reciprocity2 . In contrast, community-

based learning is defined more broadly

as taking place in the community or
with a community partner.
At UNC Charlotte, community
centered coursework is required in
a number of undergraduate majors,
including
education,
nursing,
social work, sociology, gerontology,
community planning, and architecture.
Field-based learning and internships
are widespread.
According to data collected by UNC
Charlottes Office of Institutional
Research, 5,163 students (8.33% of
the student population) were enrolled
in courses offering community-based
academic learning during the 201112 academic year while 2,445 students
(3.95% of the student population)
were enrolled in community-engaged
courses during the same period.
Community service and engagement
are core elements of the 57 freshman
seminars and 16 learning communities
scheduled for 2011-12. The University
Honors Program and a number of
undergraduate programs and courses
of study have community involvement
and
public
service
activities
embedded within
the curriculum.
Ser vice-learning
is
a
common
form of coursebased community
engagement
for
UNC
Charlotte
students.
The
National ServiceL e a r n i n g
Clearinghouse
defines
servicelearning as a

Source:

teaching and learning strategy that

integrates meaningful community
service with instruction and reflection
to enrich the learning experience, teach
civic responsibility, and strengthen
communities.
In March 2011, the UNC Charlotte
Faculty
Council
unanimously
approved a new service-learning
course designation and encouraged
faculty to integrate service-learning
principles into their courses. This
was passed to both encourage faculty
with current courses to apply for
service-learning designation and also
to grow the number of new courses.
The service- learning course content
may include the following goals: i)
to discover and address needs within
the community collaboratively with
community partners, ii) to develop
lasting, reciprocal relationships in the
community, iii) to improve skills for
critical and comparative thinking, iv) to
promote values clarification, v) to learn
practical aspects of community service,
volunteerism, and social change, vi) to
relate community service experiences

Engaged Scholarship
to career goals, and vii) to help develop a
life-long commitment to self-reflection,
and its implications for community
service and social responsibility.
Prior to the implementation of
university-wide
standards,
some
faculty and departments were unaware
of service learning opportunities,
while others offered courses with
service learning pedagogy, but did not
realize they could be designated as
service-learning classes. The actions
of the Faculty Council have provided
enhanced recognition and interest in
service learning curriculum.
In 2011-12, 17 courses in 13
departments or programs in five
colleges offered courses with a servicelearning distinction. Approximately
2,104 students were enrolled in these
courses. In 2012-2013, 646 courses in
41 departments carried the servicelearning distinction; a dramatic
increase in interest and visibility of
service-learning courses.

Students completing service-learning

or other community organizationbased 49ership requirements receive
recognition on their transcripts. In
2011-2012, 18 service-learning courses
provided opportunities for students to
engage in service-oriented 49erships,
internships with community-based
service and outreach organizations
and public service agencies. 49erships
are open to students in all seven
colleges. Students participating in
the university-wide 49ership Service
Learning Program have three specific
learning objectives which they discuss
with their organizational supervisor
and career advisor on campus. These
include: i) to learn about the social
issues and how they are handled
by the agency/organization; ii) to
promote community awareness of
social issues; and, iii) to learn how
my skills and abilities relate to this
career. Participating students engage
in reflection and evaluation at the end
of the semester.

Criteria for Service-Learning

Courses
i) course content should include the
scholarly exploration of the concepts
of citizenship, public or community
service, social issues, or social justice;
ii) the course must provide an
opportunity for reflection, learning,
discovery, understanding, intellectual
challenge, and skill development
via direct, practical, hands-on
experience;
iii) a significant percentage of the
course activity should be devoted to
some form of service to the campus
or community (local, national, or
global);
iv) a substantial part of the course
grade will involve reflection on the
service experience.

2012-2013 Service-Learning Data Based on

Undergraduate FTE
# of Service-Learning
Courses

% of Total Courses

646

6.3%

2008
Application

2012-2013

Percent
Change

Students

2,537

3,139

24.0%

# of Depts. Represented by
Service-Learning Courses

% of Total Depts.

Courses

525

646

23.0%

Faculty

194

233

21.3%

41

85.0%

38

41

7.9%

# of Faculty Teaching
Service-Learning Courses

% of Total Faculty

233

13.6%

# of Students Participating
in Service-Learning Courses

% of Total Students

3,139

10.3%

Departments

Source: UNC Charlotte Institutional

Research

Engaged Scholarship

Professional Development

Across campus, there are a variety

of programs that offer support for
community-centered
course
and
program development, research, and
outreach activities. The university
offers Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning (SoTL) grants and
Chancellors Diversity Challenge Fund
grants for faculty that can be used to
design and implement community
engagement programs and courses,
the depth and breadth of professional
development options for faculty, staff,
and administrators has become more
intentionally focused on community
engagement.
Service-Learning Showcase
In Fall 2011, an interdisciplinary group
of UNC Charlotte faculty organized the
first annual service-learning showcase
on campus. The three-hour event
began with a panel of faculty from the
Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences,
Health and Human Services, Education,
and Computing and Informatics
discussing their various approaches to
and experiences with service-learning.
Audience members asked questions
about applying for the service-

learning course designation, solicited

advice on how to overcome servicelearning challenges, and exchanged
best practices on how to develop
strong community partnerships. An
interactive poster session followed the
panel; faculty, students, and campus
groups shared information regarding
their specific service-learning projects
on campus. Another showcase is
scheduled for Spring 2014.
Center for Teaching and Learning
The UNC Charlotte Center for
Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides
pedagogical assistance for faculty.
Faculty seeking counsel on creating a
service-learning course can utilize the
CTL. The CTL also offers an online
service-learning resource library. The
universitys increased support for and
attention to service-learning courses
and course designation (see section
II.A.1.a) paved the way for a faculty
member specializing in servicelearning to serve as a CTL fellow,
beginning in 2013. In this position,
the faculty fellow has been giving
workshops and consulting on how
to incorporate service-learning into
individual courses.
6

Campus Compact
The Campus Compact group on
campus is comprised of faculty and staff
from a wide variety of departments and
offices. The group meets once a month
to develop strategies that deepen
community engaged practices among
faculty, students, and staff.
Each year, a team from UNC Charlotte
attend the Civic Engagement Institute
and PACE (Pathways to Achieving Civic
Engagement) conferences sponsored
by North Carolina Campus Compact.
Travel funding is fully supported.
The goals of both conferences include
involving university and community
members in discussions of best
practices and theories related to
community engagement, soliciting
institutional support, identifying and
negotiating challenges and barriers,
and highlighting research and practice
on related topics.

Student-Focused Community Engagement

SPOTLIGHT: UNC Charlottes Food Security Initiatives

Stop Hunger Now
Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief agency designed to end hunger
around the globe. In April 2012, UNC Charlotte students, faculty and staff joined
the cause and campaigned to raise more than $3,000. The funding was used to
purchase and package high-protein meals with rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables,
and a flavoring mix with 23 essential vitamins and nutrients. Through continued
efforts, UNC Charlotte has provided more than 13,000 meals for crisis-burdened
areas school feeding programs in Haiti, Kenya, El Salvador, Liberia and Nicaragua.
Food Recycling Program
The Food Recycling Program was established in 1991 by University Honors
Program students. Student volunteers collect food that has been cooked, but not
yet served from campus cafeterias. Students then deliver the food to Charlottes
Urban Ministries Center and The Center for Hope Womens Shelter. In 2013-14
volunteers collected and delivered more than 2,100 pounds of food. Every year,
the program continues to gain awareness and support. UNC Charlotte also plans
to partner with Johnson and Wales to expand outreach efforts
UNC Charlotte Community Garden
In 2014, Levine Scholars Jake Emerson, Kevin Rodengen, and Chloe Rodengen
created a community garden as a platform for sustainability, education and
experimentation. They envisioned students learning about healthy eating, how
to grow food, and most importantly, how to organize sustainability programs for
campus. Produce from the garden will go to campus dining services, The Niner
Student Pantry, as well as community non-profits such as Friendship Trays. In
2015, the Community Garden will construct a solar-powered drip irrigation
system and handicap-accessible walkways.
Niner Student Pantry
Established in 2014, The Niner Student Pantry was created to provide food to
students experiencing economic hardship. The Food Lion Feeds program
sponsored the pantry, providing shelving and nonperishable items. Students,
faculty, and staff from across campus have demonstrated support for the pantry
in a number important ways including donating volunteer hours,
canned food drives
service-learning
document editing, needs assessment research

Student-Focused Community Engagement

Student-Focused Community
Engagement
Getting involved in community is an
essential tenet of being a UNC Charlotte
student.
Community engagement
comes in many forms including
tutoring children at nearby schools,
building homes in low-income areas,
socializing animals at a local animal
shelter, contributing to operations of
volunteer departments, and helping
with civic improvement. Through
various departments, offices, and
organizations, UNC Charlotte students
serve in community engagement
leadership roles.
Through its student survey, the National
Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
annually collects information about
student participation in programs and
activities geared towards their learning
and personal development. Although
this survey broadly assesses students
overall collegiate experience, questions
are asked to measure community
engagement. In 2012 and 2014, UNC
Charlotte administered this web-based
survey to all second semester first-year
students and seniors likely to graduate
in May or August.
Information provided by the 2012
and 2014 versions of the NSSE survey
indicate positive growth. In 2007,
only 31 percent of students indicated
they had performed some sort of
community service or volunteer
work during their first year at UNC
Charlotte. In 2012, that number jumped
to 37 percent, and by 2014, 50 percent
of first year students responded that
they participated in service-learning
during their time at UNC Charlotte.
For our graduating seniors, in 2007,
51 percent had performed community

% of 2014 graduating seniors who

engaged in service-learning during
their UNC Charlotte career:

depth of student community service

activities across nine areas of human
need. According to this report,

56%

Explain--more findings, n, response

rate...(or discount entirely??)--small
response rate but below are the
findings...

# of community engagement
hours contributed by UNC
Charlotte students in 2012-2013

--multiple entry points to community

engagement including course curricula
and learning communities, studentdriven organizations and initatives.-highlighted here...

Source: NSSE

69,592

Source: Dean of Students Office

Division of Academic Affairs

$ value of student volunteer hours

for 2012-2013

$ 1,464,216
Source: www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time

retention rate increase in Fall 2013

(cohort 2012-2013) to 80.4% and
cohort 2013-2014--82.4% (highest rate
in ___ years and big increase)---Student
retention and success can be attributed
to UNC Charlottes ability to immerse
students in programs and initiatives
that make them feel connected to the
university. There are several initiatives
designed to involve students in
community-engaged learning while
striving to improve student retention
and success.

service or volunteer work. In both

2012 and 2014, that number increased
to 56 percent. In general, community
engagement remains an integral part
of the UNC Charlotte culture, however
there is room for improvement. get NSSE data --service-learning 2014
N and response rates (put in --peer
institutions
100

The National Assessment

of Service and Community
Engagement
(NASCE)
is a web-based survey
conducted by the Siena
College Research Institute
that quantitatively measures
a college or universitys
overall level of community
engagement by evaluating
the rate, frequency, and

90
80
70
60

First Year Students

50

Graduating Seniors

40
30
20
10
0

2007

2012

2014

Source: NSSE data 2014

Student-Focused Community Engagement

Independent Study

81%

Internship

Student Group

Field Placement (Certification)

Undergraduate Research

incorporated community service

and

31%

Volunteer

1
0

Among 16 Learning
Communities,

Graduate Research

Other

incorporated service-learning as a
core element of the course.

Student Community Engagement

Prospect for Success--Quality

Enhancement Plan
As a part of the universitys Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS) re-accreditation received in
2013, the UNC Charlotte Quality
Enhancement Plan (QEP), Prospect
for Success, outlines the Universitys
strategies for preparing students to
become curious, self and culturally
aware students committed to their
own academic success. Intentionality,
curiosity, and awareness are the
foundational elements for engaged
student learning. As noted in UNC
Charlottes Prospect for Success
handbook, students who described
themselves as being engaged were
more likely to express satisfaction,
attain greater success, and persist in
their education than peer who are
not engaged (see Krause 2007; Astin,
1984, 1985, 1993, 1999; Bruffee, 1993;
McKeachie, Pintrich, Lin, & Smith,
1986; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991,
2005; Pike, 1993; Kuh 2008). Active and
collaborative student engagement with
the curriculum can result in a more
substantial learning experience (see
Marton et al 1997).

that aids in new student success and

retention. As such, faculty development
emphasized opportunities to connect
students to real world experiences
through career center internships,
common reading involvement, and
team exercises that engage students in
the broader community. An intentional
longer-term outgrowth of these
outcomes is to have all of our students
become more civically engaged
through other academic and social
outlets. By Fall 2015, all incoming
freshmen will be involved in a Prospect
course, and some of the professional
schools will be looking at integrating
civic engagement activities during the
first semester, while others are setting
the groundwork for later sophomore or
junior curricular engagement for their
majors. Preliminary common reflection
essay results of the first semester in the
QEP show significant impact of the
courses in the three major outcomes.

While community engagement is not a

required element of QEP courses, it is
recognized as a high impact practice

Source:

Learning Communities
Established in 2001, UNC Charlotte
now has 17 residential and nonresidential
learning
community
options for new students. For the
2012-2013 academic year, there were a
total of 16 learning communities (LCs);
15 for first-year students and one for
transfer students. When surveyed,
81 percent of the 16 LCs incorporate
community engagement as an identified
characteristic of highly effective
learning communities. Not only have
Learning Communities proven highly
successful in engaging students in the
community around them, but also in
giving students a sense of belonging to
this university. This sense of belonging
has helped students understand the
many resources at our university and
helped with retention efforts.

Student-Focused Community Engagement

Common Reading
The Common Reading Experience is
designed to provide a shared academic
experience to assist all first-year
students in their transition to UNC
Charlotte. This program offers unique

opportunities for self-reflection, critical

thinking, student interaction, and
understanding of diverse perspectives.
Adoption of the common reading is
especially encouraged in first year
seminars, first year writing, and general
education courses, though any faculty
interested in using the text in their
teaching is welcome.
In Fall 2012, the common reading
was Warren St. Johns Outcasts United,
the story of a refugee soccer team, a
remarkable woman coach, and a small
southern town turned upside down
by the process of refugee resettlement.
That semester, students got the
opportunity to meet the author and
co-curricular programs were planned
to support student engagement in the
themes of Outcasts United, including
the development of an end of semester
forum showcasing student work
related to the book and a day of service
assisting refugees and immigrants in
the Charlotte region. Participating

faculty were encouraged to examine

current information on the experiences
of refugees and other immigrants to the
Carolinas from community partners
working to assist in their transition.
In Fall 2013, UNC
Charlotte selected
Wine to Water by
Doc Hendley for the
Common Reading
Experience. In a
true collaborative
spirit
between
Academic Affairs
and Student Affairs,
students reading
this text as part of a
course participated
in a water crisis
simulation
that
added to their
understanding of global water crises
while engaging them in fund raising
activities for the Wine to Water
Foundation.
Get additional infor from Sean Langley-refugee
Civic Minor in Urban Youth and
Communities
The civic minor in Urban Youth and
Communities prepares students to be
agents of change in the community
through civic engagement and learning
through service.
The minor is open to all majors who seek
to explore the strengths, capabilities
and issues of youth and communities
in urban settings.
The minors design and implementation
is the result of a competitive grant from
the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
The interdisciplinary coursework
7

equips students to understand the

complex context of urban schools
and neighborhoods, the strengths
and capabilities of urban children and
the implications of public policy for
primary and secondary public schools.
According to Susan Harden, assistant
professor of middle, secondary and
K-12 education and coordinator for the
minor, the program offers pre-service
teachers and their peers opportunities
to have experiences with servicelearning in urban settings and to
develop a rich understanding of the
public policy context of urban schools
and other community factors that
affect school performance, community
connections to schools and learning
outcomes for students...
Jazzmin Sims graduated with the minor
in spring 2013. Sims chose it because
she recognized that community
service formed a significant part of her
learning process at UNC Charlotte.
The minor, she said, provided the
perfect opportunity for me to go into
the community and figure out what
they need to thrive and live a satisfying
life. The most fulfilling aspect of her
experience was recognizing the power
to help an individual or a neighborhood
obtain sustainability, Sims said. She is
currently pursuing a career as a high
school guidance counselor.
The Urban Youth and Communities
minor draws on diverse departments
for
its
coursework,
including
Africana studies, geography, history,
criminal justice, Latin American
studies, middle school and secondary
education, anthropology, sociology,
communication studies, religious
studies, psychology, childhood and
family development, liberal studies and
education.

Student-Focused Community Engagement

The Levine Scholars Program
The Levine Scholars Program is UNC
Charlottes most prestigious merit
scholarship program. It was established
in 2009 by benefactors Sandra and
Leon Levine. Emulating the role that
the Levines have bestowed upon the
Charlotte community, key tenets to
awarded recipients are scholarship,
ethical leadership and civic engagement.
These key tenets serve as the foundation
and the compass for Levine Scholars as
they navigate their way through their
collegiate experience.
All scholars receive access to a service
grant to implement a community
service project of their own design.
Examples of Levine Scholar service
projects include (kelley shealy)...

SPOTLIGHT: Dance Marathon

The first graduating class of Levine
Scholars wanted to develop a signature
service project to commemorate their
legacy. Through a careful selection
process, the Levine Scholars chose
to support Dance Marathon, a
nationwide movement involving
more than 150 schools nationwide
raising funds for the Childrens
Miracle Network Hospital in their
community. The UNC Charlotte
Dance Marathon connected more
than 1,000 UNC Charlotte students in
the mission support For the Kids at
Levine Childrens Hospital.
The student leaders involved in dance
marathon devoted countless hours
to engaging in weekly committee
and leadership team meetings,
participating in fundraising events
on and off campus, and leading
presentations for diverse UNC
Charlotte student organizations
like athletic teams, academic and
extracurricular clubs, and fraternities
and sororities. Throughout this
process, students learned invaluable
leadership and life skills while
interacting with Childrens Hospital

patients and families.

On November 13, 2013, nearly a year
after their first planning meeting, UNC
charlotte Dance Marathon finally
arrived. From designing the floor
plans, preparing meals and snacks,
to orchestrating entertainment acts,
and organizing event logistics, these
dedicated students came to create an
unforgettable night of philanthropy
and fun for the UNC Charlotte
student body and greater Charlotte
community. Standing on-stage with
families whose children were treated at
Levine Childrens Hospital, feeling the
energy and enthusiasm of the student
dancers, and discovering that Dance
Marathon had raised smore than
$35,000.00 for the Childrens Miracle
Network Hospital was inspiring for all
who participated.
With the new Dance Marathon
leadership team already in place
for Dance Marathon 2014, Dance
Marathon will soon be welcomed as a
new NINER tradition.

Student-Focused Community Engagement

Division of Student Affairs

the 21,952 service hours completed,

student athletics contributed 2,104
hours, Greek organizations contributed
9,718, and student organizations
contributed 10,130 hours (see Figure
__).
In 2012-2013, UNC Charlotte students
contributed over 69,500 hours of
volunteer service to the Charlotte
region. 2013-2014??--these hours are
calculated... Fraternities and sororities,
athletic teams, and many student
organizations perform community
service.
Office of Volunteer Outreach
The Office of Volunteer Outreach has
established and cultivated partnerships
with over 250 local agencies in the
Charlotte community. Some of these
partnerships have laid the foundation
for other groups on campus to build
upon. For example, since 2010, this
Office has partnered with CharlotteMecklenburg Schools to increase
academic achievement in the systems
low income Title I student populations
using volunteers. These efforts were the
precursor for the Governors Village
schools initiative (see page....).

The Office of Volunteer Outreach has

established a competitive internship
for students to lead service projects in
the Charlotte community related to
Hunger and Homelessness, Youth and
Education, Senior Health and Hospitals,
Animals, and the Environment.
Interns are responsible for establishing
and maintaining relationships with
local non-profits, attending biweekly leadership board meetings,
coordinating one service program per
month and tracking and recording
all hours. Positions become available
every Spring semester, interviews are
held, and appointments are made by
the Assistant Director for Off- Campus
and Volunteer Outreach. Through this
office, student interns completed over
7,080 hours of engagement in 20__..
Greek Organizations
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority
Life articulates four pillars serving
as the foundation for fraternities and
sororities: scholarship, leadership,
philanthropy & community service and

Community
Service
Hours
at UNC
Community Service Hours
at UNC Charlotte
2011-2012
Charlotte 2011-2012

10%
44%

Student
Organizations

46%

Fraternities and
Sororities

brotherhood/sisterhood. The pillars

give students the strength and support
from their early years of college to
graduation. Every year, chapters spend
countless hours raising thousands of
dollars toward worthy causes. Projects
are conducted on an individual chapter
level to benefit organizations such as the
Make-a-Wish Foundation, American
Red Cross, and the Ronald McDonald
House. In the 2012-2013 academic year,
fraternities and sororities contributed
over 9,718 hours of service and raised
over $32,200 for local non-profits and
national philanthropies. All Greek
chapters are required by the University
to participate in at least one universitywide service project per semester.
Athletics
Every student athlete is required to
complete at least two community
service hours. Since 2009, the Athletics
Department offers two departmentwide community service events each

Athletics

Source:

Student-Focused Community Engagement

honor of those lost
in the 2001 terrorist
attacks.

year. For the past several years, the

Department of Athletics has held an
annual Stroll for Epilepsy Walk on
campus to raise funds for the Epilepsy
Foundation. The mission of the Epilepsy
Foundation is to stop seizures and find
a cure and overcome the challenges
created by epilepsy. The Athletic
Department, alongside the Red Cross,
sponsors a blood drive each year in

Aside from the

community service
events organized as
a department, there
are several teamspecific community
service events that
have been incorporated over the past
five years. The baseball and softball
teams participate as buddies in the
YMCA Miracle League each fall; the
volleyball team organizes a number of
fundraising events to support breast
cancer research; UNC Charlottes
mens and womens tennis teams
volunteer with the YMCA during their

SPOTLIGHT: Habitat for Humanity

In Spring 2013, a group of 20 UNC
Charlotte students and several
staff members traveled to Alabama
and Ohio as part of the Habitat for
Humanity Collegiate Challenge, an
alternative Spring Break experience
designed to encourage college
campuses to visit and work with
Habitat affiliates across the country.

and installed a ramp for a man whose

physical condition was causing him to
become increasingly homebound.
homecoming build

The group divided their efforts between

tornado-ravaged Birmingham and
the economically challenged town
of Portsmouth.
In Birmingham,
UNC Charlotte students donated
their time and muscle to install roof
trusses and windows and to rebuild
walls. They also spent time painting
home exteriors, landscaping and
cleaning area homes that had fallen
into disrepair. For those volunteers
in Portsmouth, they focused on
smaller projects with great impact.
For example, students constructed

Thanksgiving Dinner; and our mens

and womens soccer teams volunteer
with the FC Carolina Alliance, which
provides youth soccer training and
development to players of all ages,
genders and abilities. Most recently, our
football team has helped raise funds
and volunteered for UNC Charlottes
Relay for Life event. explain

Student-Focused Community Engagement

SPOTLIGHT: ENACTUS
Social Entrepreneurship is the process
of pursuing innovative solutions to
social problems. More specifically,
social entrepreneurs adopt a mission
to create and sustain social value.
Enactus is a community of student,
academic, and business leaders
committed to using the power of
entrepreneurial action to enable
human progress, with more than 500
student chapters. Enactus student
teams develop projects to support
people in need and improve the quality
of life of individuals in the community
by focusing on environmental, social,
and economic factors that can create
long-term, sustainable solutions to
real-world problems. At the regional
competitions, student teams make
presentations about their projects to
a panel of business leaders who serve
as judges. The national competition
showcases each regional champions
projects from the year.
In 2013, UNC Charlottes of Enactus
chapter achieved
its first top national
20 ranking at the
o r g a n i z a t i o ns
a n n u a l
competition.
The
UNC
Charlotte
team
was
a
fourth
runner-up in the
semi-final round
of
competition,
winning $1,500 in
prize money. They

qualified for the national competition

by winning a regional competition,
marking their tenth year as regional
champions.
The UNC Charlotte Enactus teams
presentation focused on three of their
community service projects. The
main project, The Ecuador Project,
has worked with a non-profit based
in Mooresville, N.C. to build a new
facility for an orphanage in Olon,
Ecuador which currently houses
31 children. The Enactus team has
raised over $3,000 through a variety
of fundraising efforts and has received
coverage in the Mooresville Tribune,
Mooresville Weekly, and Your UCity
magazine for their efforts.
The team of 61 students dedicated over
4,100 hours on nine projects, and our
top 20 finish at nationals surpasses our
two previous highs of top 60 in 2006
and 2012.

National Recognition for Community Engagement

Since the institutions founding after
World War II, UNC Charlotte and the
city of Charlotte have had a strong,
mutually
beneficial
partnership.
Educators and city leaders recognize
that a productive exchange of
information and ideas in a dynamic
environment can contribute to the
economic, social, and cultural growth
of the region.

In recent years, UNC Charlottes

commitment to community engagement
has been nationally recognized when,
in 2008, the Carnegie Foundation
granted its Community Engagement
Classification to the university,

acknowledging the mutually beneficial

exchange of knowledge and resources
with surrounding communities in a
context of partnership and reciprocity.

Also in 2008, UNC Charlotte was

named to the Presidents Higher
Education Community Service Honor
Roll for exemplary commitment to
working with local communities to
improve the quality of life for some of
the areas most vulnerable populations.
This distinction, one of the highest

federal recognitions an institution

can receive for service-learning and
civic engagement, highlights the role
colleges and universities play in solving
community problems and placing
students on a lifelong path of civic
engagement. Honorees are chosen by
National and Community Service, the
U.S. Departments of Education and
Housing and Urban Development,
Campus Compact and the American
Council on Education based on a
series of factors, including the scope
and innovation of service projects,
the extent to which service-learning
is embedded in the curriculum, the
schools commitment to long-term
campus-community partnerships, and
measurable community outcomes as
a result of the service. The University
received this honor every year since
2008 and in 201__, UNC Charlotte
recieved the gold standard.