A message from the Vice Chancellor

A core element of engagement is the creation of partnerships within the university and external to the university with communities to address issues and solve local and societal problems. The overused but still true statement that communities have problems and universities have disciplinary departments means that no single university department or program usually has all the resources needed.

We frequently utilize a strategy to create centers, institutes or programs that are comprehensive in nature. An alternative strategy is more ad hoc, using task forces, networked teams of faculty, students and professionals to partner with community organizations and leaders. The best strategy is a transdisciplinary approach that addresses contemporary issues unlikely to be solved by one or even a few points of view. This approach brings together academic experts, field practitioners, community members, research scientists, political and government leaders, non-profit organizations and business and industry leaders, among others, to solve some of the high-priority problems facing the community and world, from local to global.

Both strategies are evident in the stories in this report, as students and faculty engage in diverse projects to improve the social, economic, educational and environmental quality of life from the North Carolina coast to the mountains and locales between.

Partnering with school districts, non-profits, businesses and local government agencies brings these local and university resources together to achieve a mutually desirable goal. This is the definition of engagement.

From impacts such as educational improvement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers and students to recognition of sustainable environmental and business practices, people and places benefit. The Science House, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Industrial Extension Service and SBTDC make this happen statewide. Dozens of North Carolina State University college and departmental programs also contributed to these success stories.

Analyzing the mechanisms of action and communicating the results to a wider audience introduce the scholarship of engagement into the process. On October 4-6, 2010 during the National Outreach Scholarship Conference in Raleigh, more than 50 N.C. State faculty and staff told these stories to colleagues from around the country.

This report also tells these stories, stories of the transformation of communities of place and one community of interest as a result of initiatives communities and the University addressed actively and collaboratively. We show how reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships are in the process of transforming each community to achieve local goals. The report highlights leadership development, economic development, educational innovation, improving health and well-being and innovation in energy and environmental issues.

I am delighted to share these community-based stories with the citizens of North Carolina.

 

James J. Zuiches, Vice Chancellor
Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development