Stevens Institute of Technology
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

As Stevens Institute of Technology continues to grow, it has recognized that it must involve community stakeholders in its master planning process. As a campus within an urban setting, the university makes a big impact on the local community. There is constant communication with neighbors and the city as a whole to ensure that the interests of all parties are being met. One example is community stakeholder engagement with the design of a new academic research building. Members of the Hoboken community have been involved in the design process of the building and the grounds, providing feedback as to what they want to see in the new building. These discussions with community stakeholders have been integral in the new design and proposed operations of the building. Through this planning process, Stevens has made a commitment to include the community in its decisions.

Through formal, sponsored programs and partnerships and through organic, grassroots collaborations, Stevens identifies and engages community stakeholders. Examples include the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, the volunteer efforts of student-run organizations, community open house events and information sessions, such as that which was recently held related to the Academic Gateway Building in April and May of 2014, and self-selecting organic outreach from various community organizations such as the Hoboken Family Alliance or local scout troops. Stevens Connects also features an inquiry submission feature on it's website which allows anyone within the community to submit a request for collaboration, volunteer resources, and more. Additional information is listed in "A brief description of community stakeholder engagement outcomes from the past three years."

K-12 Teachers and students, afterschool programs for URM, the Hoboken business community, local churches, neighbors, other non-profits like Boys and Girl Scout Troops, the Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition, the Hoboken Family Alliance, and Hoboken cultural organizations such as the Arts & Music Festival and Garden Street Farmers Market.

For more than 25 years, the university’s Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) has secured grants totaling $50 million to support programs aimed at improving science, math and engineering education in elementary and high schools throughout New Jersey, the nation, and in a dozen countries around the world. Hoboken Public Schools was CIESE’s very first partner, and has remained a collaborator in more than two dozen funded programs over more than 25 years. More than 250 teachers and thousands of students have benefited from CIESE’s programs, including teacher training, student camps, and donations of hardware, software, and classroom supplies. During Orientation, one of the first ways our freshman engage in student life is through community service activities in Hoboken. Students experience the city by organizing crafts for children at the Garden Street Farmers Market, cleaning local parking garages, and painting a mural at the Jubilee Center.Stevens hosts the Hoboken Junior Police Academy, a free camp for Hoboken students, which provides hands-on experience with the role of a police offer and insight into career in law enforcement. In June 2014, in one of many ongoing efforts to help manage traffic and reduce the university’s carbon footprint, Stevens donated 16 bikes and five bike helmets for use by Bike Hoboken. Stevens is also an active participant and convener for Hoboken’s tech community including the NJ Tech Meet Up and other public forums and events held by the City of Hoboken. Stevens continues to dedicate its technical expertise to solving real-world problems in our community. Many student researchers use their Senior Design Projects, products of a year or more of extensive research, to help build products and solve issues that exist within Hoboken and surrounding areas. Notable among these research projects are an Interactive Flood Wall, a series of permanent levees and removable flood walls to create and economical and resident-friendly flood resiliency plan; a Modular Green Roof, an innovative design that integrates plant life upon a lightweight, independently supported module to significantly reduce storm water runoff and ultimately flooding; and Hoboken Taxi Re-engineering, a solution to eliminate excessive waiting and long lines for the Hoboken Taxi System. Read more about community-focused student research. Stevens faculty members have worked closely with several public agencies on plans for enhancing the resilience of waterfront communities, business districts and essential infrastructure in the face of increased flood risk and vulnerability to storm damage. Students, faculty, and staff, as well as alumni, are active volunteers to many Hoboken programs and causes—from fraternity tutoring programs in schools, to set-up for the City’s spring and fall festivals, to sports clinics for Hoboken’s youth. A few examples follow: Community service is one of the first things Stevens students experience; a variety of community service options are identified for Orientation activities for the freshman class each year. In August 2014, students and student-athletes volunteered their time to entertain local families and youth at Hoboken’s National Night Out, an effort to promote community partnerships for crime prevention. In the week following Hurricane Sandy, 300 students performed more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work – working with the National Guard to rescue people stranded by the storm, delivering water in high-rise buildings, checking in on elderly residents, working with the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps, helping prepare meals for people who had taken refuge in city shelters, providing the city with an audio system for public meetings and helping to staff a city command center. Numerous student groups on campus are dedicated to community service. From staffing community events to cleaning up local parks, Greek Life, Service organizations, Student Government, and more are committed to making a positive impact in our city. Women’s Soccer, Men’s Lacrosse and other teams have hosted sports clinics and tournaments for local children and youth teams. Over 100 student–athletes volunteer through the Duckling Program, led by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, to read and plan lessons for local middle school students.