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<< back to history and new work > 2001-2002 > venture self-study
The Consortium conducted a self-study during the 2001-2002 academic year examining Venture’s role in helping institutions think about social responsibility. We hired Kath Connolly, Senior Assistant Director of the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, to help us think about the next phase of Venture’s work. Connolly and Peggy Chang, Director of the Venture Consortium, facilitated over 125 conversations with individuals and groups on Venture’s member campuses. They met with faculty members from various disciplines, administrators from various departments, student leaders, and members of community-based organizations to explore the impact of the service-learning movement and current challenges regarding teaching and learning about social responsibility. Common themes emerged regarding student learning, administration of programming and institutional commitment to social responsibility. These conversations underscored a need to think more expansively about the unique and creative ways a consortium could assist campuses in deepening their commitment to social responsibility by increasing the number and quality of programs for students, creating innovative paradigms for professional development, and continuing to find ways to reflect on the challenges of institutionalizing these concerns. Connolly and Chang presented some of their findings at the New England Campus Compact conference at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in April 2003 and at the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers conference in Danvers, MA in June 2003. (back to top) |
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