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Pilot Project Profile - Concord UniversityLead Contacts | Issue Focus | Pilot Project Plan | Timeline | Progress Reports Lead Contacts
Issue Focus
Progress Reports
Pilot Project PlanBackgroundThe Bonner House for Campus-Wide Community Service at Concord University was created to enhance and expand service-learning, community service, and civic engagement throughout the campus population.
Concord University will be working on two separate policy briefs on two important issues in the Mountain State: public funding of service-learning programs and chronic homelessness.
Witnessing a lack of enthusiasm for service-learning in coursework in public colleges and universities throughout the state of West Virginia, the Bonner House seeks to examine what financial and other incentives are provided by the state to encourage development of service-learning programs and courses. The research group will examine developing a policy for publically funding service-learning projects and courses with state funds.
According to data released by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, West Virginia leads the nation in the number of chronically homeless people that we have. Homelessness is a topic that is too easily overlooked in West Virginia where the individuals affected are typically not seen peddling on street corners or sleeping in doorways at night like they are often seen in larger municipalities. Instead, they are walking along the interstates trying to work their way to the closest shelter that could be over twenty-five miles away. This project would investigate the polices of local and state community outreach agencies as well as governmental policies on the local, state and national levels, including funding sources and programs to assist the homeless. Moreover, this project will seek to determine whether community agencies are adequately focused on the issue of chronic homelessness in West Virginia. Ultimately, this project would seek to ascertain what could be the reasons that so many individuals experiencing homelessness in West Virginia remain in it. Student Engagement
Concord University will recruit up to 8 students, including Bonner Scholars and Bonner AmeriCorps members, to participate on the research teams. The teams will be guided by AmeriCorps VISTA members and will include at least one stipend-awarded student editor. In addition, the team’s work will continue with at least one stipend-based summer research position. Students participating in the civic engagement minor program are required to take the CBR course with which this program will partner and will also be recruited.
Faculty Engagement
The Bonner House will tap into a current upper-level, 3 credit hour CBR course at Concord University, Social Work 404 Advanced Community Based Research, and the faculty member teaching that course has signed on to the project. Additionally, other faculty members with research experience are being identified to serve as faculty mentors to the project that will guide students in their research. The students will also be assisted by two Concord University graduates working for AmeriCorps VISTA at the Bonner House.
Deliberative Democracy Forum
Each year, students travel to the West Virginia Legislature to participate in Higher Education Day, a special event where the legislature recognizes the achievement of the colleges and universities in West Virginia. During that event, students usually meet with legislative leaders and local legislators to discuss funding for higher education. Students engaged in this research project will meet with these legislators during Higher Education Day or a similar day to engage in open forums with the legislators. In addition, Concord University will host a roundtable and invite faculty members, legislators, and policymakers from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to meet and discuss service-learning funding.
In conjunction with this project, Concord University plans to host a Faces of Homelessness panel where currently or formerly homeless individuals from the National Coalition of the Homeless will speak about their experiences. Similarly, students working on the PolicyOptions brief and participating in service trips through our Serve 2.0 vlogging initiative will share what they’ve learned at a special event held on campus where they will take questions from the community on the topic.
Editorial/Advisory BoardThe advisory boards will consist of those working on the project directly as well as leaders from the community agencies with which we work. The following individuals will serve on the two advisory boards: Bonner Scholars Program Director, the two Bonner House AmeriCorps VISTA members, the Social Work 404 instructor, the faculty mentors, the consultant, the student editors, and the summer researchers.
The following individuals will be sought to serve on the advisory board for the service-learning policy brief: an appointee from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, an appointee from the State Advisory Council of Students, and the President of the Faculty Senate of Concord University or her designate.
For the chronic homelessness policy brief, representatives from the community agencies we partner with on the issue will be asked to serve on the advisory board.
Timeline
Spring 2009
Summer 2009
Fall 2009
Spring 2010
Summer 2010
Working DraftsState Funding for Service Learning at Public Colleges & Universities
Individual Student Working Drafts for Fall 2009:
Once these are finalized, a combined and edited draft of their policy briefs will be created.
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