The University of Minnesota is proud to make public engagement a central feature of our research, teaching, and public service activities and initiatives. Recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the University of Minnesota has put in place a bold agenda to integrate community engagement across a broad range of University initiatives and community settings to create a new engagement culture.
Five campuses and more than 200 units and centers of the University of Minnesota afford many opportunities to become involved in campus-community partnerships that are integrated with a broad range of research, teaching, and outreach efforts. The Office for Public Engagement, located within the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Administration, University of Minnesota System, seeks to expand and strengthen the University’s capacity as a fully “engaged” university.
As outlined in the Ten-Point Plan for Advancing Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota, some key strategies for deepening the University’s engagement work include the following:
- enhancing faculty support for research and teaching activities that are conducted in the public interest;
- establishing a University-wide system for providing students with more articulated public engagement experiences that are tied to students’ academic goals and professional aspirations;
- expanding opportunities and mechanisms for the University to garner community input, feedback, and leadership concerning issues of public engagement.
I hope you will take some time to explore the vast array of engagement opportunities and programs featured on the web page. As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve this portal. Please contact us at public@umn.edu if you have any questions or comments about this site.
Andrew Furco
Associate Vice President for Public Engagement