AAC&U Press Release:  Washington, DC—April 10, 2012—Thirteen national organizations announced today their participation in a new steering committee on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) that will coordinate and expand the impact of civic learning initiatives around the country. Read more...

On March 20, 2012, NERCHE hosted a webinar for prospective nominees and nominators for the 2012 Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early-Career Faculty.   This web-based meeting provided participants with practical informationRead more...

NERCHE participated as a national partner along with the Association of American Colleges and Universities in a Planning Retreat for a new High Impact Engagement Initiative at Princeton, N.J, March 16-18.Read more...

Co-authored by KerryAnn O’Meara (Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of Maryland, College Park) and Matthew Meekins (Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions at American University’s School of International Service), “Inside Rankings: Limitations and Possibilities” considers the growing influenceRead more...

Sharon began her work in higher education in an MIT-based K-12 drop-out prevention program involving collaborations among public school teachers, parents, and researchers aimed at creating classroom environments that foster the success of underserved students in urban areas. Since joining NERCHE in 1995, she has worked as a writer, editor, program developer, and researcher, with a particular emphasis on qualitative studies and program evaluation. Among her research interests are systemic organizational change to support the academic success of college students from underserved populations; faculty, administrator, and staff workload issues in the context of institutional change; and scholarly engagement with communities that is guided by the principles of reciprocity, social justice, and democracy. Sharon holds a master's degree in education from Harvard University.

Grassroots Coalitions and State Policy Change: Organizing for Immigrant Health Care

Margaret A. Post College of the Holy Cross
and Visiting Scholar with NERCHE working on the Next Generation Engagement Project

Post examines how coalitions build power in the policymaking arena. She focuses on interorganizational partnerships, internal capacity building, and claims-making, and shows that multi-organizational alliances can be intermediary mechanisms for promoting interests and realizing political gains. With case studies from Massachusetts and California between 2004 and 2007, Post investigates how statewide, health policy coalitions incorporate immigrant interests in organizing strategies for policy change.