Washington Campus Compact

MEMBERSHIP VALUE GREATLY EXCEEDS GOAL; APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST WOULD BENEFIT STUDENTS IN SERVICE; THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Jennifer Dorr, Executive Director, Washington Campus Compact

As we approach the end of our 2004-2005 academic year, we are preparing to send membership renewal packets to our member presidents. From time to time we are asked, “What is the value of membership?” While intrinsic values vary for every member, we want to quantify some of the services offered to our members to not only show campuses what they receive as part of their membership, but to also help us set goals for serving our member campuses more effectively.

As part of this effort, our staff has developed a Return on Investment report, which attempts to document the financial value of the services provided to each of the members. I am pleased to report that Washington Campus Compact (WACC) exceeded its goal of providing at least $10,000 in value-added services to each member institution this year. In fact, the average value received by our member institutions was more than $80,000! Please look for the detailed Return on Investment report in your membership renewal packet, which presidents will receive by mid-June. (The campus point-of-contact will receive an electronic copy of the renewal packet as a courtesy.)

Looking ahead to 2005-2006, we anticipate an even greater average return on investment for our members next year. This increase will be due, in large part, to our expanded Students in Service program. Students in Service provides participating students with education scholarships in exchange for their engagement in service-learning and community service activities. This program is in excellent alignment with the WACC mission of furthering the civic purposes of higher education. Everyone wins: the students, the participating higher education institutions and their communities. (See Students in Service update in this issue.)

To support student engagement activities across the state (such as those offered through the Students in Service program), WACC submitted an appropriations request of $335,000 to Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell in March. (See related article in this issue.) I asked the presidents in late May to support this request by emailing their own letters to the senators. We will update you on any progress with this appropriations request.

For the support they have already provided, I thank all of the presidents who so generously sponsored faculty, students, administrators and community partners to attend the eighth annual Continuums of Service conference on April 11-13 in Portland, Ore. A record-setting 515 participants attended the conference, 90 from Washington institutions. Thank you for making this possible. (See conference article in this issue.)

We are also reviewing applications for the newly formed WACC Advisory Committee. We anticipate announcing the selected committee members by the end of June and will soon schedule our first meeting in the fall. I thank everyone who submitted a nomination and those who stepped forward to offer their leadership. We look forward to collaborating to move our work forward.

Welcome to the University of Washington, Bothell! This institution joined WACC this past winter, bringing our total membership to 26.

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WACC HIGHLIGHTS

WACC PROGRAMS ARE ROBUST VEHICLE FOR STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STATEWIDE

Campus Connections Program Update
Laura Reedy, Campus Connections Program Coordinator/Points of Light YES Ambassador, Washington Campus Compact

The 33 members of the Campus Connections AmeriCorps program have continued their work to engage students in service opportunities that meet a range of critical needs in their local communities. Members have planned and hosted student and faculty appreciation banquets, organized service-learning fairs and events, led tutoring sessions and tree-plantings, and found a myriad of ways to incorporate reflection and learning to create meaningful volunteer experiences.

In addition to their work with higher education students, each Campus Connections member has begun work facilitating the Roadmap to Civic Engagement, a curriculum designed to support middle school students in exploring the needs and assets of their communities. The curriculum culminates in a service project that the youth choose, plan and actualize themselves. This year Campus Connections members are working with youth at nine separate sites, facilitating the curriculum with more than 150 youth!

In addition, the Campus Connections team has begun recruiting for the 2005-2006 program year. Interested applicants can apply online at www.americorps.org or email Laura Reedy at laura.reedy@wwu.edu for more information.

Students in Service Program Update
Lee Wiles, Student Engagement Coordinator, Washington Campus Compact

The Students in Service program has had a record-breaking year. More than 500 students have enrolled in the program. They have contributed thousands of hours of service, and some have already completed their terms and earned their scholarships.

The coming program year will see even more growth. We plan to enhance WACC’s ability to support Students in Service members by expanding the staff working on the program. The additional staff will provide extra hands, minds and talents.

Students in Service — an AmeriCorps-affiliated Education Award Only program — supports and encourages higher education students in their engagement in service-learning and community service activities. Upon completing a term of service, a student in the program earns an education award.

Washington Reading Corps Program Update
Heather Weaver, Education Specialist, Washington Campus Compact

Washington Campus Compact’s Washington Reading Corps (WRC) is a literacy program that involves 21 full-time AmeriCorps and VISTA members in eight area elementary schools. With the school year nearing completion, the 2004-2005 WRC program has accomplished much of note:

COS CONFERENCE SETS RECORD ATTENDANCE, REFLECTS REGIONAL COLLABORATION
Julie Muyllaert, State Network Director, Washington Campus Compact

Washington Campus Compact (WACC) leads the coordination of the annual western region Continuums of Service conference. I am pleased to report on another successful conference, held this spring on April 11-13 in Portland, Ore.

One highlight of the eighth annual conference was record-breaking participation: 515 service-learning practitioners, 90 from Washington state alone, gathered together to explore the theme “Building Bridges: Values, Skills, and Knowledge for Vibrant Communities and Campuses.”

Another highlight involved the increased collaboration between state Campus Compact offices and local Campus Compact members on the design and delivery of the conference. The WACC staff worked closely with Oregon Campus Compact staff, Portland Roundtable members and students from numerous Oregon schools in developing the theme, identifying keynote speakers, and soliciting and reviewing presentation proposals.

As examples, Common Pulse — a Corvallis-based percussion group — energized participants during the opening plenary with participatory drumming activities. Larry Roper, vice provost for Student Affairs at Oregon State University, moved participants to explore the issues that influence the quality of one’s life and leadership during the Tuesday morning keynote.

The result was a conference program reflective of local and regional campuses and communities.

The ninth annual conference is scheduled for April 19-21, 2006 in Bellevue, Wash. The WACC staff looks forward to collaborating with Washington service-learning practitioners in the months ahead and creating another successful Continuums of Service conference!

APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST NEEDS SUPPORT; WOULD ENHANCE STUDENTS IN SERVICE
Brian Heinrich, Communications Coordinator, Washington Campus Compact

In early March, Washington Campus Compact (WACC) submitted an appropriations request of $335,000 to Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell. The appropriations request asks for funding to mobilize student volunteers to address critical needs in their communities, gain valuable workplace training and develop civic skills. Funding, if approved, would provide training, staffing and administrative support at higher education institutions throughout Washington state. Funding also would allow us to inform stakeholders of how higher education is addressing critical community needs.

As many of you know through your work on your campuses and in your communities, the demands placed on K-12 education, early childhood development, corrections, health care, homeland security, economic development and human services are increasing at a higher rate than available resources are. As a result, nonprofits, public agencies and private organizations often do not have the resources and/or personnel to meet these needs.

WACC believes that student volunteers can help meet the growing demand for these services. WACC member institutions have been participating in the Students in Service program, which allows a student to choose a service project or program and volunteer time to receive an education scholarship that he or she can apply to tuition or other school-related expenses.

The appropriations request would help support much of the work already being done and further the efforts of member campuses across the state. However, whether or not the appropriations request is approved, the Students in Service program will continue to provide member institutions and their students with an opportunity to serve their communities. To learn more about this program, please visit www.studentsinservice.org or contact Lee Wiles at WACC at
360-650-7257.

To lend your support for WACC’s request, please contact — by email — Patty Murray at http://murray.senate.gov and Maria Cantwell at http://cantwell.senate.gov.

We will continue to inform WACC members about the progress of this request.

WHEN COMMUNITY COMES TO CAMPUS: SEATTLE UNIVERSITY HOSTS TENT CITY 3
Kent Koth, Director, Center for Service, Seattle University

During February 2005, Seattle University hosted Tent City 3, a homeless encampment of 100 men and women. The experience of Tent City 3 at Seattle University provided profound service and learning experiences for all those involved in the effort.

The experience also placed Seattle University in uncharted territory. As the first university in the nation to host a homeless encampment, the university encountered challenging and important questions about what it means to put its mission and values into deep and authentic practice.

This article provides a snapshot of Tent City 3 at Seattle University and an overview of what happens when the service-learning cycle is reversed; when the community comes to campus instead of the campus going into the community.

The Crisis of Homelessness
On any given night in the United States, thousands of people have no place to call home and are forced to live in shelters or on the streets of major cities and towns. In the greater Seattle area, the King County Citizen’s Advisory Commission on Homeless Encampments (CACHE) estimates that every night there are 8,000 individuals without a shelter and only 4,600 shelter beds available.

There are currently two tent cities in King County: Tent City 4 operates outside the Seattle city limits and Tent City 3 principally functions within city limits. Developed in 1990, Tent City is a self-managed community of homeless people joining together to solve their shared problem of lack of shelter.

Tent City residents adhere to a strict code of conduct including no tolerance for alcohol, drugs or violence. In addition, no sex offenders are allowed to reside in Tent City. Residents are expected to contribute to their community by serving on security shifts, litter patrols and other projects. Each week, Tent City 3 elects five residents to serve as council members who govern their community and enforce policies. Local religious institutions and nonprofit organizations host Tent City 3 on their property for 30- to 90-day periods. Since its inception in March 2000, Tent City 3 has moved 45 times.

When the Community Comes to Campus: Mixed Reactions
Drawing upon its Jesuit Catholic mission, in September 2004 Seattle University decided to host Tent City 3. In the campus announcement, Seattle University President Steven Sundborg explained, “Hosting and offering help to this group of homeless men and women is the right thing for Seattle University to do on many levels—from our Jesuit Catholic focus on service and our practical ability to offer a secure, well-situated venue without disruption to our students and neighbors, to our ability to create meaningful learning and service opportunities for students, faculty and staff.”

In most service-learning efforts, students leave campus to serve at off-campus sites. This process can create challenges and moments of discomfort for the student service-learners, but it has little impact on the campus community as a whole. Yet, when a service-learning experience is set up in a manner that brings the community to campus, it impacts the entire university.

Seemingly every student, faculty and staff had an opinion about President Sundborg’s announcement. The majority welcomed the announcement as a logical step in pursuing the university’s mission “to empower leaders for a just and humane world.” Yet others reacted in a more cynical manner, questioning whether the hosting of Tent City 3 was simply an elaborate publicity stunt. Still others criticized the university for providing only a temporary place for the homeless to reside while not doing more to permanently end homelessness. Another group of individuals thought the announcement was a joke; for these individuals the idea of hosting the homeless on campus seemed too bizarre to take seriously.

Seattle University athletes and Tent City 3 residents gather for a card game. The development of new friendships was an unexpected byproduct of the hosting of Tent City 3 at Seattle University.

By far the most challenging reaction to the announcement came from those who harbored a deep-seated fear of the homeless. A few students and community neighbors expressed their displeasure with the proposition of a homeless encampment on university property. These individuals voiced concern about issues of personal safety and questioned whether hosting Tent City 3 on campus was an invitation for trouble. During the hosting experience one student’s editorial in the student paper voiced her discomfort. She stated, “Don’t get me wrong — personally I love the idea of Tent City and what they do. Considering myself a liberal, I believe everyone is deserving of success and happiness, and that the government limits opportunities the homeless have on starting over again. My dilemma is that I like the theory of welcoming Tent City into my home, but in reality am terrified to have them there.”

Responding to those who feared the prospect of a homeless encampment on campus provided a significant challenge for the university committee that organized to host Tent City 3. Dismissing the opinions of these individuals risked provoking a backlash that could taint the entire experience. Yet, fully complying with the wishes of these individuals would validate the misperception that all homeless people are untrustworthy and violent criminals.

Responding to Fear through Service and Learning
To address any uncertainty surrounding the event, the hosting committee developed a two-part plan. Primarily, the committee aimed to provide meaningful service opportunities for as many students, faculty and staff as possible. Secondly, it organized educational opportunities that placed Tent City 3 residents in the role of instructor or expert.

When Tent City 3 residents moved to the university tennis courts on Jan. 29, an organized group of student and staff volunteers welcomed them with support and assistance. Throughout the next month, more than 600 volunteers cooked and served meals, assisted Tent City 3 residents with the move-in and move-out process, and hosted special events like a Super Bowl Party. The campus raised more than $13,000 to assist Tent City 3 with expenses such as bus passes and the rental of dumpsters and portable toilets. Students donated an additional $7,000 from their campus meal cards to cover the costs of more than 2,000 dinners for Tent City residents and more than 1,900 sack lunches. Numerous groups and individuals donated tents, blankets, batteries, toiletries, canned food, flashlights and other necessities. The Facilities Operations Office provided temporary employment for four Tent City residents. The College of Law and the College of Nursing sponsored weekly clinics. Finally, every Monday evening student athletes held a board game night with the residents.

All of these activities were developed in response to critical needs defined by Tent City residents, but they also met a university need: a need for deep and authentic connections between the campus community and the Tent City community, in order to dispel misperceptions about the homeless. In short, through the process of providing resources and services to Tent City 3, it was hoped that those who came to “serve” would more deeply examine their beliefs, attitudes and values.

Complementing the experiential learning from the service projects, the campus hosting committee also offered numerous educational opportunities. For example, faculty sponsored lectures, and top-level administrators sent email statements to all members of the campus community. A group of faculty and staff organized a reader on homelessness. The University Communications Office created portraits of Tent City 3 residents with statistics on homelessness to display in prominent campus locations. Yet these efforts simply helped frame the issue of homelessness.

Lanz, a Tent City resident, speaks to students about the challenges faced by those who are homeless. During February 2005, Tent City 3 residents spoke to more than 1,300 students, faculty and staff at Seattle University.

Tent City 3 residents played the essential role of expert instructors. During February, Tent City 3 residents spoke to more than 600 people at eight major public events. At one noon-time event alone, more than 200 undergraduates and law students listened to a group of six residents share their personal stories. Tent City 3 residents also hosted small-group discussions for dozens of classes and community groups who came to visit their encampment at the tennis courts. Overall, Tent City residents spoke with more than 1,300 people during their stay on campus.

For many, these uniquely personal educational experiences and service activities profoundly changed their perceptions of the homeless. For example, one student reflected on her visit to the camp by observing, “Coming into camp has been an eye-opening experience. They’ve broken every stereotype I’ve had about what it means to be on the streets.”

Conclusions: The Power of Sharing a Meal
In late February, toward the end of Tent City’s stay on campus, a group of eight Seattle University students, staff and faculty met with a dozen Tent City 3 residents to reflect on the experiences of Tent City at Seattle University. During the gathering, residents shared their thanks for the many services the university provided. In response, students, staff and faculty thanked the residents for serving as educators. All those who congregated recognized that homeless encampments are not the answer to the crisis of homelessness, but only a small step in a larger effort toward social change. Moreover, all agreed that Seattle University should remain engaged in the effort to end homelessness.

Yet the most poignant and unexpected moment at this gathering arose when the residents responded to the question, “What was the most important service that Seattle University provided to you?” Some residents mentioned the clinics while others noted the hot meals, and still others cited the opportunity to share their stories.

However, what all the residents declared as most important was the sense of community that arose between campus and encampment. The residents observed that sitting together and sharing a meal was what mattered most. In the simple act of breaking bread together, we find ourselves in a place of true and authentic community.

Academic Service-Learning and Civic Engagement at Central Washington University:
Recognizing Differences and Finding Collaboration
Robert Rostad, Student, Office of Academic Service-learning, Central Washington University

Central Washington University (CWU or Central) has been a leader in incorporating service into the university culture for almost 15 years. CWU’s Civic Engagement Center and Office of Academic Service-Learning both capitalize on community partnerships, faculty involvement and student expertise to support community needs while simultaneously creating civically engaged scholars. Our goals include effectively coordinating the expanding efforts of these two service entities within Student Affairs and Academic Affairs and continuing to increase outreach efforts.

The overarching missions of Academic Service-Learning and the Civic Engagement Center are remarkably similar, though the strategies, tactics and methodology of the two agencies differ in certain respects. Nevertheless, each has unique strengths. To capitalize on them, during the past year representatives of both entities have made concerted efforts to pool resources, increase communication and explore collaborative opportunities to improve campus- and community-wide services in effective new ways.

Evolution of Service at Central
During the first two years of its existence, the Central CARES program was part of CWU Career Development Services. In 1996, the program moved to the Campus Life division of Student Affairs, where it functioned predominately as a volunteer center. Two years later, the center’s name changed to the Service-Learning and Volunteer Center to reflect the depth and breadth of its evolving services.

From 2001 to 2003, CWU — through a Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE) grant — partnered with Eastern Michigan University and four other institutions to train faculty members in ways to utilize academic service-learning. During each of the three years, deans at CWU nominated 10 faculty members as academic service-learning faculty fellows. As a result, academic service-learning became a more prominent part of the CWU curricula, with active and visible support from the university and administration.

The creation of the Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellows program led to another name change; in 2003 the Service-Learning and Volunteer Center became the Civic Engagement Center. The Center has increased from an initial budget of $4,000 to a current annual budget of $185,000. Despite the name changes and structural reassignments, the Center continues to serve as a dynamic link between the campus and our regional communities in support of pressing civic, environmental, social and ethical challenges.

Director of the Office of Academic Service-Learning James Pappas, Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana and CWU history major Allison Roy collaborated through the Office to research and write a history of the Kittitas County Sheriff's Department.

Office of Academic Service- Learning
CWU's stated mission is to prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth and productive lives. Through the Office of Academic Service-Learning, Central allows faculty, students, staff and alumni to assist Ellensburg, Kittitas County and all of central Washington in solving human and environmental problems through course-based service and volunteerism.

Directed by James Pappas, CWU’s 2003 Distinguished Public Service Professor, the Office organizes student practicums that may last one academic quarter or longer in the education, human services, environmental, social welfare, law and justice, or public health fields. A local community agency mentors a student as he or she identifies community needs, establishes a goal, creates an action plan and develops a list of expected outcomes. Although individual classroom discussion and written reflection are required, students often work in groups to accomplish their goals.

Our students have partnered with almost 40 agencies, implementing projects that measurably impact the community. For example, four students partnered with several community agencies to develop a needs assessment survey of Kittitas County's low-income populations. Others helped the Kittitas County Sheriff's Department create marketing plans and organize historical research.

The result of these efforts is a mutually beneficial relationship in which students, community agencies and the university all collaborate and benefit.

Civic Engagement Center
CWU’s Civic Engagement Center provides students with opportunities to engage in off-campus, student-directed service that may culminate in internships and capstone projects, such as working with nonprofit groups to develop professional public relations and marketing materials.

A dynamic link between Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and our off-campus partners has been developed. A web-based platform manages service opportunities and participants. An advisory board — comprised of community members, students, faculty and staff — and the development of policies and procedures expedite the process.

Directed by Lorinda Anderson, the Center also has the flexibility to respond quickly to different types of need through organizing community and campus-based events and introducing students to civic engagement in positive ways that may encourage lifelong service.

A recent example is the Center's response to the tsunami of December 2004. In the weeks immediately following the tragedy, the Center organized a variety of activities that raised more than $3,500 for relief efforts.