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CURRENT PROJECTS
Reversing the Telescope: Community Development from Within
Community outreach has become a recognized and entrenched part of the agenda for higher education. Thus far, the concept of community development has only been applied to reaching out to the community beyond the campus. Colleges and communities can do a lot of good looking outside their campuses; however, they need look no farther than into their own campuses for members of the external community - many of whom are employed in the lower paid service jobs. They clean our classrooms, prepare and serve food in our cafeterias, manicure our grounds, and process our paperwork.
With a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NERCHE will chart the domain of the "civic microcosm" within the university. Project activities include holding conversations of key stakeholders with the capacity to leverage and redirect resources to support institutions of higher education in addressing the community within their institutions, developing written materials and identifying concrete programmatic examples, and developing strategic partnerships with influential groups and allies who can mobilize institutions to develop innovative programs that are responsive to local needs.
Click on button to download "Reversing the Telescope: Community Development
From Within - Taking the First Look" Summer 2003.
The New England New Presidents Network (NENPN)
With a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, NERCHE is developing a program for new college and university presidents in the Northeast. Among the primary goals of NENPN are to strengthen the leadership capacity of first-time presidents and maintain institutional momentum during leadership transitions. Most importantly, NENPN intends to provide new presidents with ongoing confidential and objective guidance from seasoned academic leaders. More information
Evaluation of the Institutionalization of Learn and Serve America Programs
The Corporation for National Service (CNS) has contracted with NERCHE, Westat , and the Center for Youth and Communities at Brandeis University, to conduct an evaluation of the impact of Learn and Serve America grants on the institutionalization of service-learning in schools, community-based organizations, and higher education institutions. The goal of the evaluation is to assess the role of Learn and Serve grants in establishing and expanding service-learning in those institutions and in promoting the long-term sustainability of service-learning opportunities for young people. The evaluation process is being carried out over 2001-Fall 2002. The final summary report will be available in the Fall 2003.
Informing Policy With Practice
In the Fall 1999, with support from the Ford Foundation, NERCHE launched "Informing Policy with Practice" to strengthen the Center's role in contributing the voices of reflective practitioners to policy-level discussions through a variety of means. One result is the NERCHE Briefs , which distill policy implications from think tank discussions and ongoing projects. These briefs are emailed to media, researchers, foundations, higher education associations, and a range of individuals involved in higher education policy development. If you would like to be added to the NERCHE Brief distribution list, please send us your e-mail address.
Ernest A. Lynton Award for Faculty Professional Service
As a founding member of NERCHE, Ernest Lynton contributed powerfully to reshaping the role of the metropolitan university. Dr. Lynton's work championed a concept of service that embraced collective responsibility and a vision of colleges and universities as catalysts not only in the discovery of new knowledge but also in its application throughout society. This annual award pays tribute to the memory of Ernest Lynton and his tenacity in the pursuit of his vision.
2004 Winners
Past Winners
More about the award
PAST PROJECTS
Project Engage
Project Engage evolved from NERCHE's Program on Faculty Professional Service and Academic Outreach and sought to enhance all three academic missions - research, teaching and service - by bolstering faculty/student collaborations. NERCHE announced the ten winners of grants of $3000 - $5000 to support action research projects carried out by teams of student, faculty, and community members. Find out more about the work of the action research teams by clicking on the links below.
Current Winners
2000-2001 Winners
Getting Back To Basics? Remedial Education And College Opportunity
Efforts to reevaluate and reform remedial education have increased significantly in recent years, in states ranging from Florida, to New York, to California, to Massachusetts, to Texas. The Institute for Higher Education Policy and NERCHE—with support from the Ford Foundation—examined how changing remediation policies have affected the organization and delivery of remedial education, admissions practices, and the allocation of financial aid on campuses, particularly for low-income and minority students in the New England region. This project, which ran from September 2001 through August 2002, combined quantitative analysis, case studies, and small discussion groups to: 1) assess changes at the institutional level that occurred in light of the shifting policy environment,2) identify best practices and innovations, and 3) improve the public discourse on the issues associated with remedial education. More about this project.
Civic Engagement Cluster Project
The Project which concluded in July, 2001 worked with a group of ten institutions nationwide that were undertaking significant transformation to strengthen civic learning. Click here for more information on the project and the Cluster institutions.
Project Colleague:
A Program for Faculty
As part of the Program on Faculty Professional Service and Academic Outreach, Project Colleague , aimed to correct some of the obstacles to effective service and outreach. Find out more about "Swinging Doors:Making Community-College Partnerships Work" - a workshop for community based organizations.
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