Message from the Interim Associate Provost

Laurie Van Egeren, Interim Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement

Preparing Students for Civic and Social Responsibility

Dear Engaged Spartans and our partners in Michigan and around the world,

A key goal of any university is to prepare students to be effective and contributing citizens. By engaging with communities as part of their educational experience, students are better prepared for lifelong civic and social responsibility and strengthened in their capacity to collaborate democratically within society in ways that enact social change. At MSU, this engagement takes many forms, whether through academic coursework, applying institutional resources to address community challenges, or in engagement experiences beyond the classroom through MSU Days of Service or other volunteer opportunities. These community-engaged learning experiences are often a highlight of a student's college career, and stories of some of their experiences are featured in MSU's annual Community-Engaged Learning Index.

Jointly reporting to the Office of University Outreach and Engagement and the Division of Student Life and Engagement, the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) not only coordinates thousands of community-student engagement opportunities each year, but also offers seminars and workshops to students, faculty, and community members and supports faculty members in developing and teaching community-engaged courses.

To advance community-engaged learning at MSU, CCEL is offering a virtual conference May 16-19, Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning: A Comprehensive Experience, geared to all faculty, academic staff, and instructors—with any level of experience—who wish to gain tools and resources to create or refine community-engaged learning opportunities within their coursework. It promises to be an excellent program that I hope many colleagues will attend.

As we head into a future with increasingly complex challenges, our students must be prepared to meet those moments with skill and compassion. We believe that providing "learning-by-doing" community-engaged learning opportunities will give them a great foundation. At University Outreach and Engagement, it is our privilege to support all educators in their efforts to develop the next generation of compassionately engaged citizens.

Laurie Van Egeren,

Interim Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement