Announcing the Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Task Force Report
In August of 2023, we released our Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Task Force report. The report wrapped up a year’s worth of work from our dedicated task force – but it’s only the beginning of exciting new work to build an engagement infrastructure at NIU.
Meaningful engagement with the surrounding region is a defining characteristic of Northern Illinois University. Our students want to change the world. They come to NIU energized to make a difference, and they value classes and research experiences that help them get involved in the community. Our faculty are committed to the ideal of a public university where research, teaching and artistry help to serve the public good. We believe that engagement is just as important as teaching, research and artistry – and, in fact, community engagement helps to enrich all of these.
NIU is already an engaged university – but we can do even better. President Freeman called on us to create an action plan to make community engagement at NIU even stronger and help NIU become a national model of excellence in community engagement. In Sept. of 2022, the Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Task Force convened to answer this call.
The task force consisted of faculty and staff from seven different colleges and three divisions, all dedicated to building an institutional culture to nurture engagement. The task force met monthly and was charged with providing an NIU definition and guiding principles of engagement, as well as creating an action plan to bring those principles to life.
We’re thrilled to present the task force report and hope you take a few minutes to read it on our website.
Here’s our belief statement – a small snippet from the full report:
At Northern Illinois University, we believe community engagement…
- facilitates collaboration, in which all partners contribute, and all partners benefit.
- unites the expertise and resources of the university and the community.
- allows partners to pursue a shared vision for public good.
- enriches scholarship, research, and artistry.
- enhances teaching and learning. – addresses critical societal issues.
- strengthens democratic values.
Now that the task force has completed its work, the NIU Engagement Roundtable is beginning the important work of putting the task force plans into action.
Keep watching this blog for more updates, coming soon!
