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Directed by Dr. Edmund "Ted" Gordon, Associate Vice President
The Office of Thematic Initiatives and Community Engagement focuses on two major areas:
- Thematic Initiatives works to increase diversity through recruitment and retention of faculty and graduate students engaged in underrepresented subjects in pedagogy and research.
- Community Engagement centers on promotion and coordination of services, pedagogy, and research for communities historically underserved by the university and encompasses several areas.
Programs in this portfolio include:
Indigenous Studies Initiatives – Dr. Shannon Speed, Director
… seeks to make the university a unique and outstanding center for engaged research and dialogue with indigenous peoples throughout the hemisphere through a collaborative project of an interdisciplinary core group of faculty from Liberal Arts, Education, Information Sciences, and Law that conducts a speakers series and offers a graduate portfolio in the M.A. and Ph.D. levels in Indigenous Studies
Arts and Community
Engagement (ACE) – Dr. Deborah Paredez, Director
…provides forums for exchange among and resources for the wide range of UT and Austin artists, activists, and scholars engaged in artistic work dedicated to facilitating community building and engagement; sponsors the Annual ACE Award, designed to honor an individual and/or group who has shown distinction in facilitating community exchange, engagement,
and empowerment in and through the arts
Volunteer and Service Learning Center – Glen Baumgart, Director
…provides volunteer opportunities for university students, and recruits over 8,000 student volunteers each year for service projects; Strengthens healthy relationships between students and their communities; facilitates UT Student Volunteer Board and The Project Service Event, student organizations that promote and coordinate community engagement activities and events for the whole campus, and provide students opportunities to make a difference in the community and provides resources and logistical support for students interested or enrolled in service learning courses, for faculty currently teaching or desiring to teach a service learning course and for community agencies interested in partnering with UT faculty and service learning students.
Regional Foundation Library (RFL) – Allison Chandler Supancic, Librarian and Collections Supervisor
… provides comprehensive education and resources to all individuals and organizations involved in grant –making, grant-seeking and funding development
Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships (ICUSP) – Dr. Kevin Foster, Director
… builds community partnerships to increase student achievement and college-readiness in students who typically would not consider college a viable option through research and services provided through an action research center and a faculty and student-based collaboration.
Community Engagement Incubator (CEI) – Dr. Thomas Darwin, Director
…seeds new community engagement initiatives and accelerates existing ones, and establishes networks of people and organizations interested in research to benefit the community
Intellectual Entrepreneurship – Dr. Richard Cherwitz, Director
… increases the number of underrepresented minority and first-generation graduate students through the Pre-Graduate School Internship program - a cross-disciplinary consortium that focuses on creating collaborations to demystify graduate education and helps students see how advanced study enables them to contribute to their communities
The impact of the IE Consortium on community engagement and diversity has been spotlighted by the media and other academic institutions and has been the focus of national conversations about higher education |
Thematic Initiatives and Community Engagement
Dr. Edmund "Ted" Gordon, Associate Vice President
Choquette Peterson, Executive Director
Ruth Ortiz, Administrative Associate
Dr. Shannon Speed, Director, Indigenous Studies Speakers Series
Dr. Deborah Paredez, Director, Arts and Community
Engagement
Glen Baumgart, Director, Volunteer and Service Learning Center
Allison Chandler Supancic, Librarian and Collections Supervisor, Regional Foundation Library
Dr. Kevin Foster, Director, Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships
Dr. Thomas Darwin, Director, Community Engagement Incubator
Dr. Richard Cherwitz, Director, Intellectual Entrepreneurship |
