The Office of Outreach and Engagement (O&E) aims to advance community-engaged scholarship initiatives at the University of Connecticut.

Mission

The mission of O&E is to empower faculty, students, and staff to co-create knowledge with their community, achieving a meaningful impact.

Mission Alignment

As part of the University of Connecticut’s commitment to academic distinction, holistic learning, inclusive community, local vitality, and global impact, this strategic plan outlines a framework to strengthen community engagement through research, curricular and co-curricular learning, and public service, and showcase UConn’s collective impact at the local, national, and global level.

This 2025-2030 strategic plan serves as a roadmap for the Office of Outreach and Engagement’s goals:

The overarching goal of this office is to institutionalize community engagement throughout the university at all levels. To achieve this objective, we have defined the following goals:

• Goal 1: Expand the capacity, recognition, and opportunities for faculty, staff, and students doing engaged scholarship and community outreach
• Goal 2: Advance mutually beneficial solutions that strengthen communities.
• Goal 3: Empower students for lives of civic engagement.
• Goal 4: Ensure the organizational vitality of the Office of Outreach and Engagement.

Our Values

1. High-quality research leads to innovation, problem-solving, and the development of prosperous communities.
2. Mutually beneficial partnerships lead to the co-creation of knowledge and transformative change.
3. Education and experiential learning empower students with a strong sense of moral, ethical, and social responsibility.[1]
   
   [1] University of Connecticut (2022). Common Curriculum, 2022

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2025-2030 Strategic Plan

Goal 1. Expand the capacity, recognition, and opportunities for faculty and staff doing engaged scholarship and community outreach.

Strategy 1.1: Increase faculty knowledge and awareness of the concept and value of community engagement.

1. Create a university-wide campaign on the collective impact of community engagement.
2. Design and implement education programs that demonstrate the value of community engagement in enhancing scholarship.
3. Create, curate, and disseminate information about the benefits, concepts, and methods for integrating community-engaged scholarship.

Strategy 1.2: Integrate the adoption of community-engaged scholarship in the university promotion and tenure system in collaboration with the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate.

1. Develop guidelines and standards to recognize excellence in community-engaged scholarship in the university.
2. Create or adopt definitions and metrics of engaged scholarship.
3. Recommend sections for reporting engaged scholarship in academic milestones, such as promotion and annual reporting.
4. Maintain and coordinate a committee to serve as a third-party reviewer of promotion dossiers, with a focus on engaging scholars.
5. Provide professional development opportunities to faculty.

Strategy 1.3: Advance high-quality engaged scholarship and community outreach.

1. Disseminate learning opportunities offered by nationally recognized organizations.
2. Coordinate or co-create educational materials and events for faculty and staff.
3. Develop written guidelines and create a tool to ease the understanding and adoption of engaged scholarship or community outreach programs.
4. Collaborate with units that provide financial support for the advancement of engaged scholarship.
5. Increase institutional capacity in program assessment and broader impacts (in collaboration with OVPR).
6. Raise funds to expand the capacity of engaged scholarship at UConn.

Strategy 1.4: Provide public recognition of the faculty, staff, and individuals who practice or advance engaged scholarship.

1. Assess the collective impact of outreach and engagement work.
2. Recognize faculty, staff, and community members for their excellence in community-engaged scholarship through the Provost Awards for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship.
3. Disseminate internally and externally University-led efforts on community engagement. (Create a list of the awards available for community Engagement is rewarded).
4. Create a catalog of community outreach and engagement programs at UConn (Partner with OIRE).
5. Create an “Engaged Scholar Fellow” designation for faculty.
6. Continue the Service Learning Fellow program.
7. Coordinate annual thematic initiatives that focus on community engagement.

Goal 2. Advance mutually beneficial solutions that strengthen communities.

Strategy 2.1: Develop guidelines and coordinate professional development on authentic and sustainable partnerships.

Strategy 2.2: Create opportunities for open dialogue between UConn and local communities.

1. Create a permanent advisory board to guide community engagement efforts at UConn.
2. Assess assets, knowledge gaps, and strengths by location in several subject matters.
3. Coordinate listening sessions on subject areas across different locations in CT that allow for the co-creation of knowledge.

Strategy 2.3: Increase community access around the state to campuses and educational programs.

Goal 3. Educate students for lives of engaged citizenship with the capacity to pursue public good.

Strategy 3.1: Increase the number of students who are exposed to community-based curricular experiences (Metrics: number of SL courses, enrollment in SL courses, for-credit-community-based internships).

Strategy 3.2: Increase the number of students who are exposed to community-based research experiences.

Strategy 3.3 Increase civic engagement opportunities for students in and outside of the campus through co-curricular activities.

Goal 4. Ensure the organizational vitality of the Office of Outreach and Engagement.

Strategy 4.1: Align and integrate community engagement with UConn’s institutional efforts and goals.

Strategy 4.2: Enhance the operational capacity of leadership on the value of engaged scholarship and community outreach.

1. Empower leaders to value and promote engaged scholarship and community outreach.
2. Train staff to support faculty, staff, students, and community partners in advancing engaged scholarship and community outreach.

Strategy 4.3: Integrate reporting metrics and communication of outreach and engagement efforts.

1. Data collection
2. Annual reporting
3. Communications

Strategy 4.4. Strengthen financial sustainability.

1. Secure financial resources to support community-engaged activities through private and public funds.