News and Notes from University Outreach and Engagement

Announcements

MSU's Center for Community and Economic Development has moved to new quarters. The new address is: 1615 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48912-2822. Phone: (517) 353-9555; Fax: (517) 484-0068. For more information, contact Rex L. LaMore, director, lamore@msu.edu, or John Melcher, associate director, melcher@msu.edu.

Events

The Information Technology Empowerment Center (ITEC) collaborative held its ground-breaking ceremony on January 28, 2008, at the former Holmes Street School in Lansing. ITEC's mission is to help prepare Lansing-area children and adults for participation in a fast-paced, global IT-based economy. The center will offer hands-on activities designed to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. MSU is a primary partner, along with Prima Civitas, Dewpoint, Inc., Spartan Internet Consulting, Lansing School District, and the City of Lansing Economic Development Corporation. For more information, contact Kirk Riley, executive director, kirk@iteclansing.org, or call (517) 432-1451.

MSU's Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 1, 2008, with a reception at the Kellogg Center.

Honors

MSU was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for helping to build a culture of service and civic engagement in our nation during 2007.

Publications

In partnership with MSU Press, the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement has established a Transformations in Higher Education: Engaged Scholarship book series and contracted for the first three volumes in the series. For more information, contact Hiram E. Fitzgerald, fitzger9@msu.edu.

The Engaged Scholar E-Newsletter will debut in October 2008. This four-times-a-year supplement to The Engaged Scholar Magazine will offer timely updates and interactive coverage of Michigan State University's ongoing partnerships with Michigan, our nation, and our world. To learn more, visit engagedscholar.msu.edu.

Transitions

Diane Zimmerman, founding director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement (NCSUE), retired in March 2008. Dr. Zimmerman co-wrote and edited several key documents in the development of the MSU model for university engagement, including Points of Distinction: A Guidebook for Planning & Evaluating Quality Outreach (1996) and "Measuring Scholarly Outreach at Michigan State University: Definition, Challenges, Tools" (2002, Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement). She led the initiative to develop the Outreach & Engagement Measurement Instrument and, with Burton Bargerstock, gave direction to the founding of the MSU Usability & Accessibility Center. Zimmerman holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Michigan State University. Burton A. Bargerstock and Laurie Van Egeren were appointed as NCSUE's new co-directors in January 2008.