Telling MSU's Engagement Story

UOE uses the data gathered with the OEMI and other university reporting systems to support a broad range of communication and public relations efforts. Through its print and web communications, UOE aims to clarify and reinforce messages about the centrality of engagement in higher education and its importance for collaboratively addressing societal challenges.

By showcasing examples of high-quality community-engaged scholarship by faculty from across disciplines and with partners from across sectors, UOE strives to help faculty better understand what this form of scholarship might look like in their field and in their own work.

UOE also aims to communicate to stakeholders the many ways in which the University partners with communities, businesses, government agencies, schools, and NGOs, and how these partnerships might be beneficial to their own organizations.

The Engaged Scholar Magazine is published annually and distributed to MSU faculty and academic staff, community leaders, legislators, and others (local through international subscribers). The goals of the publication are to encourage faculty to do outreach/engagement work, provide examples of what community-engaged scholarship can look like across disciplines and information about resources available to support this work, and to explore/elucidate theories and models (the scholarly basis for the work).

Published four times during the academic year, The Engaged Scholar E-Newsletter supplements the magazine. The more frequent publication schedule allows for timely stories, announcements, updates about upcoming events, and partnership and funding opportunities. Each issue contains stories about MSU engaged scholars and projects addressing societal priorities (e.g., community and economic development), announcements, and events.

Both publications are posted online and linked through social networks, and over time subscription requests for both publications have grown. The print publication is currently mailed to 1,320 (20% non-MSU addresses) and the e-newsletter readership includes 1,182 (25% non-MSU subscribers).

UOE also distributes information via news releases, display panels and other materials for events, social media, videos, and its website. See p. 13 in this issue for a look at how UOE's Communication and Information Technology Department went about creating an integrated communication plan for an annual event, the MSU Science Festival.