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Barry Selected for National Initiative Focused on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
Barry University has been selected to participate in a national network focused on civic learning and democratic engagement throughout the 2016–2017 academic year. The network is organized by NASPA, a national organization for student affairs administrators in higher education.
The NASPA Lead Initiative involves a network of nearly 100 colleges and universities. Participating institutions are recognized for their strong commitment to civic learning and democratic engagement.
“We are grateful for the leadership and commitment of your institution to civic learning and democratic engagement for all students,” wrote Dr. Kevin Kruger, president of NASPA, in a letter to Barry’s president, Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD.
Kruger said participating institutions are given “exclusive access to exciting opportunities for collaboration, networking, and professional development, all designed to enhance the positive impact of civic learning and democratic engagement on our students.”
Dr. Scott Smith, vice president for student affairs, is coordinating Barry’s participation in the NASPA Lead Initiative. The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), primarily through the Campus Democracy Project, is supporting the university’s participation.
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Faculty Members Share Information on Barry’s Support for Nursing Education in Haiti
Two faculty members from the College
Interviewed by show hosts Rebecca Laratte and Rhonel Cinous in the radio station’s North Miami Beach studio, Colin and Shaw shared information on Barry’s support for nursing education in Haiti.
Colin is professor and director of the nursing PhD, nursing executive leadership, and nursing education programs. Shaw is assistant professor of nursing and instructor for a study abroad/international service-learning course in the undergraduate nursing program.
After the interview, Shaw reported: “We were able to share with the audience our Haiti mission from this past year, and the multi-collaborative efforts to come for the spring 2017 nursing study abroad with Amor En Acción, the CCSI, and the nursing school that Dr. Colin co-founded in
Shaw added that the radio interview provided “a great platform to showcase Barry’s engagement with the Haitian community, especially in the area of nursing education.”
CNHS (previously the School of Nursing) has been involved with nursing education in Haiti for about 15 years, Colin explained. Initially, CNHS provided educational support to the faculty at Notre Dame D’Haiti for its three-year nursing program. The faculty came to Barry’s
According to Colin, the Notre Dame D’Haiti faculty learned pedagogical approaches, curriculum development, teaching style and advising.
Over the years, Barry continued its relationship with Notre Dame D’Haiti by providing guidance and support. Colin met with the school’s faculty in Haiti on several occasions to facilitate the relationship between both institutions. In 2001, she conducted an assessment of the infrastructure at L’Hopital St. Croix in Leogane to determine how the hospital could support the proposed school of nursing.
The school – Faculte des Sciences Infirmiere (Faculty of Nursing Science, or FSIL) of the Episcopalian
CNHS continues to work with the faculty in Haiti, providing support and guidance. FSIL currently has an enrolment of 145 students. Since 2009, it has graduated approximately 70 students and has been designated by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education as the top nursing program in
In the past two years, the school has started a family nurse practitioner program. Its current enrollment is 12 students, and the first program graduation is scheduled for 2017.
During spring break 2016, a nine-member group of Barry faculty and students took a trip to Haiti. The group visited schools, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to learn from local leaders about health, education, and social issues facing rural communities in the northwestern region of the
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Campus Democracy Project Committee Reports Modest Outcomes
The committee organizing Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) has reported modest outcomes of its work this semester.
“We accounted for about 75 voter registrations at Barry,” reported Dr. Sean Foreman, co-chair of the CDP Committee.
As one of its get-out-the-vote activities, the CDP Committee organized “Rides to the Polls.” According to Foreman, “approximately 20 students took advantage of the opportunity to get a ride to the voting station.”
In a post-election report, he wrote, “While voter registration nationally was relatively high among the overall population and among traditional college-aged students, the voter turnout was relatively low, which is part (but only part) of the reason for the surprising result of the presidential election.”
On Nov. 3, the College Democrats hosted a “Student Voices: Word on the Street” roundtable. More than 30 students participated in “a very thoughtful and productive discussion of the importance of voting to millennials and of how social justice public-policy issues impact their generation.”
Afterwards, there was a student debate featuring two College Democrats, Chris Riker and Antonio Rodriguez, and two College Republicans, James “Chase” Wathen and Humberto Aguin. Foreman moderated the debate, which drew an audience of about 35 students and staff members.
“All in all, the debaters were passionate and informative,” Foreman noted, “and the debate session was a success.”
Meanwhile, Jasmine McKee, a Barry Service Corps (BSC) member assigned to the CDP, organized a polling station simulation to encourage voting in the Nov. 8 elections. She created a mock voting booth in the Landon Student Union on the Miami
The Election Night Watch Party in Bucky’s Cove (sports bar and grill) drew about 60 people. Campus Election Engagement Fellow John Powell coordinated this post-election event with assistance from Isaac Maldonada, a BSC member.
CDP events earlier this semester included a Constitution Day Forum, a “Why I Vote” Social Media Campaign, and a Quiz Competition on American Government and Elections.
Foreman and Courtney Berrien, the other CDP Committee co-chair, thanked project collaborators. They singled out the Barry Service Corps, Campus Election Engagement Project, College Democrats, College Republicans, Department of Housing and Residence Life (in the Division of Student Affairs), Miami-Dade Elections Department, School of
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University Awarded Service for Peace Grant to Support MLK Day-Related Activities
For the fourth consecutive year, Barry
This year, Service for Peace has provided a $2,500 grant, which will go toward community service activities for the MLK Day of Service and the ensuing 40 Days of Peace.
“The funds will help to offset the cost of transportation and service project materials,” said Courtney Berrien, associate director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
A lead agency funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Bridgeport, Connecticut-based Service for Peace is supporting the 2017 MLK Day of Service and 40 Days of Peace, which begins on January 16. The agency plans to implement projects in at least 10 states. It will recruit students, veterans, and military families to service; improve economic opportunities for unemployed people and the lives of disadvantaged youth; strengthen communities engaged in service; and increase the impact of Dr. King’s teachings.
Berrien said several projects and events are slated for Barry’s 40 Days of Peace. These include Saturdays of Service, the College Brides Walk, and the ongoing development of Barry’s urban farming partnerships.
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CCSI Accepting Concurrent-Session Proposals for March 29 Symposium
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is accepting proposals for concurrent-session presentations at Barry’s fourth annual Community Engagement Symposium.
Scheduled for March 29, the 2017 symposium will highlight community-focused dimensions of experiential learning.
Successful proposals will emphasize aspects or features of experiential learning activities that engage faculty, staff, and/or students with community partners at the local, regional, state, national, and/or global levels.
Proposals for presentations should be submitted by January 20.
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Award Categories Include Community Engagement Educator
Community Engagement Educator is one of the seven categories of community engagement awards for which nominations are being accepted.
The Community Engagement Educator Award honors an employee for significant contributions to the institutionalization and enhancement of community engagement at Barry
In addition to Community Engagement Educator,the categories of awards are Community Impact, Community Partnership, Community-Based Research, Engaged Scholarship, Service-Learning Faculty, and Engaged Department.
The fourth annual Community Engagement Awards will be held on March 29, 2017. The nomination deadline is January 27.
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Community Impact Award Winner to be Nominated for National Recognition
A winner of Barry’s Community Impact Award will be nominated for national recognition as one of Campus Compact’s Newman Civic Fellows.
Newman Civic Fellows are “community-committed students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country,” Campus Compact announced last month. “The fellowship provides training and resources that nurture students’ assets and passions to help them develop strategies to achieve social change.”
Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,100 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact enables colleges and universities to develop students’ citizenship skills and forge effective community partnerships. Its resources support faculty and staff as they pursue community-based teaching and scholarship in the service of positive change.
The Newman Civic Fellowship honors Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who “dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform.”
In a statement, the Boston-based organization also said, “Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides learning opportunities focused on the skills fellows need in order to serve as effective agents of change in addressing public problems and building equitable communities.”
The Community Impact Award is presented annually to individual students and student organizations for exemplary community engagement – including service, research, and/or advocacy – that has a measurable impact on the community.
The five criteria for this award are as follows:
Newman Civic Fellows are nominated by college and university presidents and chancellors who are members of Campus Compact.
As a member of Campus Compact, Barry’s president, Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD, nominates the student recommended by the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI). The CCSI recommends the eligible individual Community Impact Award winner – a freshman or sophomore – who gets the highest score from the Community Engagement Awards Nomination Review Committee.
Barry is one of only five institutions that have made their Newman nomination processes available through the Campus Compact website.
The KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation are sponsors of the Newman Civic Fellowship.
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Faculty Invited to Apply for Service-Learning Fellowships for New Year
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) invites faculty members to apply for service-learning fellowships for the 2017–2018 academic year. Two fellowships will be available.
Through the fellowships, successful applicants participate in a yearlong faculty development program focused on service-learning pedagogy, practice, and associated scholarship. Each service-learning fellow gets a course release to complete a special project and eventually to serve as a faculty mentor and engaged scholar.
Fellowship details and the application form are available in the Community Engagement Management System (CEMS), which may be accessed from the CCSI homepage. The application deadline is January 16.
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : December 05, 2016
