The Office of Community Engagement is located on the second floor of the Carl Hansen Student Center in the Campus Life suite. The office serves as a central resource for students, faculty and staff interested in volunteering in the local, national and international communities; provides support to students and faculty interested in community engagement and service learning; and is responsible for both expanding and coordinating programs that encourage service, civic engagement and volunteerism at the local, national and international level. The office also:
- Serves as a resource and contact for students, faculty and staff in the development of community service and philanthropic opportunities.
- Assists faculty in the development of service learning and experiential learning opportunities.
- Assists students, student organizations, campus offices and departments in the development, coordination and funding of community service activities.
- Develops and organizes the Alternative Break Trips which engage students in direct service to meet community needs.
- Acts as an advocate for, and adviser to, student organizations committed to service.
- Develops and maintains a database of local community agencies and nonprofits searching for volunteer assistance or open to hosting one-time small group service activities.
- Develops and manages the Community Work-Study program, which offers students with work-study awards the opportunity to work in local schools, nonprofits and municipal agencies; and
- Supports student groups, university departments and faculty in the design and coordination of events that advocate for and educate the community about the unmet needs and issues of social justice within our local communities and world.
- Develops opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage in the civic life of their communities through voter registration drives and election-geared events.
- Organizes the annual food drive “Be Kind, Leave Your Food Behind” and the philanthropy initiative “Tap Out Hunger.”