March 29, 2021
IN THIS ISSUE
- President Allen to Highlight Barry’s Achievements in Community Engagement at University Event Next Wednesday
- Community Engagement Symposium Includes Ten Presentations During Two Concurrent Sessions
- Community Engagement Poster Exhibition on Campus Runs from March 31 to April 9
- Barry Representatives Participate in Rally Hosted by Miami-Dade Faith-Based Coalition
President Allen To Highlight Barry’s Achievements In Community Engagement At University Event Next Wednesday
Barry University’s achievements in the field of community engagement will be delineated at the eighth annual Community Engagement Awards next Wednesday. President Mike Allen will deliver a brief address at the event, during which he is expected to mention milestones in the 10-year history of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
This is the CCSI’s 10th anniversary year, and the Community Engagement Awards will offer an opportunity to share significant accomplishments.
Dr. Allen will highlight the attainment of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2015. He will also call attention to outstanding faculty work in community-engaged scholarship.
The CCSI is the university’s coordinating unit for community engagement, providing programs and resources to students, faculty, staff, and community partners. Based in the Division of Academic Affairs, the CCSI functions as a faculty development support unit.
“In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we will have a low-key celebration of the CCSI’s 10th anniversary,” says Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director. “We would be remiss if we were to let the academic year go by without acknowledging the considerable institutional achievements made over a relatively short period.”
The Community Engagement Awards on April 7 will be a virtual event scheduled to commence at noon.
The CCSI has extended an open invitation to students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Dr. Andrew Seligsohn, president of Campus Compact, will be the guest speaker. Awards will be presented in various categories of community engagement.
Community Engagement Symposium Includes Ten Presentations During Two Concurrent Sessions
Registration For Wednesday’s Event Remains Open
Barry’s seventh annual Community Engagement Symposium this Wednesday will include two concurrent sessions during which faculty and staff members, as well as students, will make presentations on various topics.
Five presentations are slated for each of the concurrent sessions. Presenters will come not only from Barry but also from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Miami Dade College (MDC), and the University of Miami (UM).
Dr. Caryn McTighe Musil, a distinguished fellow with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), will be the lead presenter at the symposium. Musil was AAC&U’s senior director of civic learning and democracy initiatives until her retirement last year.
The Community Engagement Symposium, which will be held virtually, will consist of four sessions—the first beginning at 9 a.m. and the fourth ending at 3 p.m.
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| SYMPOSIUM AT A GLANCE | |||
| 9:00–10:45 | Session I | Welcome Opening Remarks Symposium Overview Introduction of Lead Presenter Workshop |
11:00–11:50 | Session II | Concurrent Presentations | |
12:00–12:50 | Session III | Concurrent Presentations | |
1:30–3:00 | Session IV | Welcome Back Remarks Plenary Presentation Poster Competition: Closing Remarks | |
| Registration: http://www.barry.edu/community-engagement-symposium/ | ||
During Session I, Musil will lead a 75-minute workshop on “Partnering on Purpose: How to Accelerate the Impact of Project-Based Experiential Learning.”
Among presenters during Session II are FAU’s Francine Coker and Lindsey Goldstein, whose topic is “Activism vs. Slacktivism,” and UM’s Victor Manuel Rubio Carrillo, whose presentation is titled “Music Voice: Redirecting Oppression Through Children’s Inter-Action Inquiry.”
In Session III, Heba El-Tall and MaryGrace Longoria of MDC will present “The Civic Action Scorecard Challenge: Building Students’ Civic Muscle.”
Session IV will include Musil’s hour-long plenary presentation titled “Acting on Purpose: Knowledge, Collaboration, and Social Responsibility.”
Barry University Provost Dr. John D. Murray will deliver the opening remarks and President Dr. Mike Allen will give a brief, post-lunch address.
The theme of the symposium is “Engagement in Purposeful Projects: From Awareness to Action.” Registration for the six-hour event remains underway.
Community Engagement Poster Exhibition On Campus Runs From March 31 To April 9
The CCSI is hosting a Poster Exhibition as part of this year’s Community Engagement Symposium. The exhibition—the only onsite portion of the symposium—is being staged in Thompson Hall on Barry’s Miami Shores campus.
Among the posters are entries in a competition among undergraduates. The design and content of those posters are based largely on the theme of the symposium, "Engagement in Purposeful Projects: From Awareness to Action.”
The annual Community Engagement Symposium supports the integration of personal and social responsibility objectives into the undergraduate curriculum. Personal and social responsibility is the theme of Barry’s 2014 Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP.
The results of the Student Poster Competition will be announced during the closing session of the symposium this Wednesday afternoon. Eight prizes will be awarded to competitors, and all participants—students as well as faculty members—will be recognized.
This year’s symposium is organized as a mostly virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Poster Exhibition on campus runs from March 31 through April 9.
For further information, contact Dr. Heather Johnson Desiral, poster session coordinator, at qep@barry.edu.
Barry Representatives Participate in Rally Hosted by Miami-Dade Faith-Based Coalition
Barry social work students Cedric Wiggins and Jenny Fernandez promoting “people power” at PACT’s Nehemiah Action earlier this month.
People Acting for Community Together—widely known as PACT—staged its Nehemiah Action earlier this month. About 90 Barry students and staff members attended the rally.
Social work students taking a service-learning course organized a Barry caravan from campus to Dezerland Park, at 14401 NE 19th Avenue, North Miami. Most of the students in the 13-vehicle caravan and some joining virtually were completing the service-learning and civic engagement module focused on “People Power.”
Vehicles displayed posters to raise awareness about issues currently being addressed by PACT: affordable housing, unnecessary arrests, gun violence, and community IDs.
Barry Service Corps Fellows served as ushers and sign holders at the event on March 15. Experiential Learning Coordinator Liz James gave the closing remarks and prayer.
PACT hosted Nehemiah Action—promoted as “40 congregations united for justice”—as a combined drive-in and Zoom (online videoconferencing) event. More than 1,200 people participated, with nearly 130 of them at the drive-in.
At Nehemiah Action, PACT won “important commitments” from local officials to address such issues as the need for affordable housing and a civil citation program to reduce “unnecessary arrests.”
A coalition of faith-based institutions, “PACT unites, organizes and trains leaders from diverse congregations, schools and community groups to build a powerful community voice.” According to its mission statement, PACT empowers its members; holds elected officials accountable; and promotes fairness, justice, and democracy in Miami-Dade County.
“Because of this show of people power [at the rally], we were able to win … important commitments,” PACT said in a post-Nehemiah Action statement.
City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell committed to requesting a proposal from City Manager Art Noriega for an Affordable Housing Finance Corporation—including structure, governance, and oversight—to be presented to the City Commission within 90 days. “This is a big step towards the plan that PACT has proposed—a plan to build or preserve 32,000 affordable homes by 2030.
Miami-Dade Police Department Assistant Director Stephanie V. Daniels (on behalf of Director Alfredo Ramirez III) committed to support the expansion of the adult civil citation program to help lower unnecessary arrests and to strengthen the implementation of the Group Violence Intervention Program in South Dade according to best practices.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will discuss the community ID program with commissioners, and Commissioner Eileen Higgins will prepare legislation for the program, which will help homeless persons, immigrants, the elderly, and others without a state ID to access local services.
Barry students as well as faculty and staff members interested in supporting PACT’s work are asked to contact Liz James in the CCSI at ljames@barry.edu.
Wednesday
April 7
Noon–1:30
Contact Brittney Morales, Barry Service Corps program facilitator, at BriMorales@barry.edu.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM: Next week’s issue of Community Engagement News will feature a look back at Barry’s seventh annual Community Engagement Symposium. The news story will include excerpts of remarks by President Mike Allen and Provost John D. Murray, among other highlights.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS: All arrangements are in place for Barry’s eighth annual Community Engagement Awards, which will take place on Wednesday, April 7, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn will be the guest speaker; President Mike Allen will deliver remarks; and awards will be presented in five categories of community engagement.
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