University of Illinois at Chicago has been recognized as one of the most diverse student populations in the nation which drives its interest in becoming a university embedded in its community. That is why at the UIC site we have proposed to evaluate four very different programs to explore the notion of university-community engagement. Three cases of ‘internal’ diversity programming and one ‘external’ case where UIC students participate in the program.
The notion of engagement is captured in three cases of ‘internal’ diversity programming and success that include. First the Service Learning Component at the UIC Honors College (HC). Second, the Urban Public Policy Fellowship Program (UPPF). Third, the Community Engagement Component at Bachelor in Urban Studies (UP). In these programs, the notion of ‘first generation, low income students ‘success’ is measured in the ways in which a public, urban, research university tries to create programs of high success for first generation, low income, students of diverse ethnicities and means. The fourth case is an ‘external’ case where UIC is but one of a number of colleges and universities in Chicago from the perspective of ‘the community’ where The Resurrection Project (TRP) is a community partner of the Great Cities Institute of UIC.
In sum, the UIC site proposes to explore the notion of an ‘engaged institution’—inside or out—by looking at different and new modes of engagement or community work—the HC, UPPF, UP at UIC and La Casa are models of such activity.
Programs being evaluated
- Service Learning Component at Honors College (HC)
- Urban Policy Fellowship program at Institute for Public and Civic Engagement (UPPF)
- Community Engagement Component at Bachelor in Urban Studies from College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (BAUS)
- La Casa Student Housing from The Resurrection Project