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Community Impact Study Report

Methodology

The Center for Community Initiatives (CCI), in conjunction with UNF Academic Affairs, reviewed several community engagement studies conducted by other universities in order to decide upon indicators to measure the extent to which the University is participating in community outreach. In particular, the Washington University in St. Louis study, “Washington University’s Impact on the St. Louis Region,” provided the most suitable model. The research team selected six categories to organize possible community involvement activities. Within each category, several more detailed categories, or indicators, were selected to further organize activities and provide the ruler by which to measure UNF’s community involvement. The categories and indicators are described in more detail later in the report.

Once the indicators were chosen, research staff created a detailed indicator spreadsheet. Creating a living document allowed the research team to add activities and categories unique to the University, and see how these variables fit the model of community engagement. The first step in data collection was to perform a content analysis of the UNF website including college and department pages, publications such as press releases, In the News, and Inside UNF. For this effort, primary interest was concentrated on activities undertaken during the 2006-2007 academic year (and summer), as well as Fall 2007. As information relevant to community engagement was uncovered, the data was entered into the appropriate indicator and category on the spreadsheet. Once this information was collected, meetings were established with College Deans, or in some cases Associate Deans, and Directors of the Library, Continuing Education, and Alumni Affairs. The primary objective of these meetings was to explain the purpose of the project, make contact for future phases, and update any questions related to previously collected data. In most cases, the Dean followed up with more information from his or her department on community engagement activities.

The second phase of the project included an extensive community engagement web survey that was sent to all faculty at the University of North Florida in the Spring of 2008. Faculty were asked to supply details regarding their community engagement activities for 2007. They were specifically asked questions regarding the following categories:courses taught with a service-learning component

  • Courses taught with an internship component
  • Appointments served on boards of non-profit organizations, businesses, or schools (not including UNF)
  • Appointments served on boards of professional organizations
  • Volunteer efforts unrelated to courses
  • Other resources provided (e.g., pro bono consultation, presentations, sponsored field trips)
  • Service awards received

The survey was sent to 623 faculty, and 344 replied for a 55 percent response rate. Faculty were sent three follow-up messages to achieve the response rate. After the survey ran for three weeks, the information was compiled and separated into spreadsheets. The data were then cleaned and added to the indicator spreadsheet collected during phase one.

Results

After examining a number of other University and College community impact studies, the research team decided to gather data under six major foci:

  1. Power of the People,
  2. Inventions and Knowledge,
  3. Community Health,
  4. K - 12 Advocates and Partners,
  5. Educational and Cultural Resources, and
  6. Local Business and Non-Profit Outreach.

A description of each category is provided below with examples of the data collected to date. It is important to note that the following examples represent only a sampling of engagement activities in which UNF faculty and students have been involved.

Summary and Conclusion

The first two phases of this community engagement study provide a comprehensive examination into the major contributions the University is making to Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, particularly through the work of faculty and students. The University is committed to improving the life of the Jacksonville community, and the initial findings from this study further prove that commitment. As an active and contributing member of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, UNF:

  • Adds vibrancy to the community through faculty, staff, and students that are committed to positively impacting the community.
  • Contributes to scholarly research and applies that research to issues relevant to our community.
  • Serves community health needs through faculty, staff, and student involvement in health care organizations and health care issues.
  • Provides resources to improve elementary and secondary education throughout Northeast Florida through outreach, partnerships, and college preparation programs.
  • Provides special educational and cultural resources to members of the Northeast Florida community through fine arts programs, major speakers, and other events.
  • Supports local business and non-profit organizations through individual involvement and access to resources relevant to the Northeast Florida business environment.

Phase Three of the project will broaden the scope by including administrative staff, support staff, athletics, etc. These University members are engaged with the community just as the faculty and students are and are an important piece to the puzzle. A similar process will be followed in collecting their data during this phase. The completed study will provide an inventory of faculty, staff, and student contributions to the educational, social, and cultural offerings of the Jacksonville and Northeast Florida community. This information will prove invaluable to their efforts at promoting UNF’s reputation as a community partner. The completion of the first phase provides an exciting introduction into the magnitude and scope of community engagement occurring at the University.

Resources

  1. Inside UNF November 2007, Volume 13 Number 10. Office of University Marketing & Publications, University of North Florida.
  2. University of North Florida Mission Statement. Retrieved online in June 2008.
  3. "Washington University's Impact on the St. Louis Region." Washington University in St. Louis. Retrieved online at www.impact.wustl.edu in August 2007.
  4. Fall 2007 Student Data. Office of Institutional Research, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in January 2008.
  5. Press Release Listing. Office of University Marketing & Publications Department of Media Relations and Events, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in January 2008.
  6. Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida. Coggin eNews Newsletter Fall 2006. Retrieved online at www.unf.edu/coggin in August 2007.
  7. Common Data Set 2007. Office of Institutional Research, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in August 2007.
  8. Department of English List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 11, 2007.
  9. Department of Media Relations and Events. Office of University Marketing & Publications University of North Florida. Retrieved online in September 2007.
  10. Survey of Faculty Community Engagement for 2007, Northeast Florida Center for Community Initiatives.
  11. Interview with Dean of Division of Continuing Education, Robert L. Wood and the Grants & Marketing Coordinator Leshell Hartney on October 2, 2007.
  12. Division of Continuing Education Program Book. Received from the department on October 2, 2007.
  13. Florida Alumni County Distribution, University of North Florida Foundation, Inc. Report as of August 3, 2007. Received from the University of North Florida Alumni Association via e-mail on October 2, 2007.
  14. Inside UNF Online December 2006, Volume 12 Number 11. Office of University Marketing & Publications, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in August 2007.
  15. Center for International Business Studies. Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida. Retrieved online at Coggin International Business in September 2007.
  16. Transformational Learning Opportunities, Office of Undergraduate Studies. Retrieved online in September 2007.
  17. UNF SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) Project Overview 2007. Received from the Office of Undergraduate Studies via e-mail on October 1, 2007.
  18. Department of Psychology List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 10, 2007.
  19. Department of Communication List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 12, 2007.
  20. Department of Psychology List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 10, 2007.
  21. UNF Honors Program Service Learning Annual Report 2006-2007. Received via e-mail on October 30, 2007.
  22. Inside UNF Online March 2007, Volume 13 Number 2. Office of University Marketing & Publications, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in August 2007.
  23. Inside UNF Online November 2006, Volume 12 Number 10. Office of University Marketing & Publications, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in August 2007.
  24. Coggin College of Business 2006-2007 Annual Report. Retrieved online in September 2007.
  25. Brochure received from Interview with Dean of Brooks College of Health Pamela S. Chally on October 10, 2007.
  26. Inside UNF Online April 2007, Volume 13 Number 3. Office of University Marketing & Publications, University of North Florida. Retrieved online in September 2007.
  27. School of Nursing List of Affiliation Agreements. Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida. Received via email on November 26, 2007.
  28. College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction Transformational Learning Opportunities. Received via e-mail on September 24, 2007.
  29. Brooks College of Health Website, University of North Florida. Retreived online at www.unf.edu/brooks in March 2008.
  30. Brooks College of Health Community Outreach Council Survey Response. Received via e-mail on September 25, 2007.
  31. College of Education and Human Services Website, University of North Florida. Retrieved online at www.unf.edu/coehs in September 2007.
  32. Department of Music Website, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Florida. Retrieved online at www.unf.edu/coas/music in September 2007.
  33. University of North Florida Athletics Website. Retrieved online at www.unfospreys.com in January 2008.
  34. Department of Biology List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 12, 2007.
  35. College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction Website, University of North Florida. Retrieved online at www.unf.edu/ccec/ in March 2008.
  36. University of North Florida Thomas G. Carpenter Library Website. Retrieved online at www.unf.edu/library in December 2007.
  37. Department of Chemistry and Physics List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 9, 2007.
  38. Interview with Assistant Vice President of Public Relations Sharon Ashton and Assistant Director of Media Relations and Events Joanna Norris, Department of Media Relations and Events, University of North Florida. June 11, 2008.
  39. Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology List of Service-Related Activities. College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Florida. Received via e-mail on October 15, 2007.