University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
EN-6: Community Partnerships
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.00 / 9.00 |
Abigail
Brewer Communications & Engagement Specialist Sustainable Carolina |
6.1 Sustainability-focused community partnerships
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s sustainability-focused community partnerships:
For three years, Sustainable Carolina has been involved in Orange County Creek Week, a part of the Clean Water Education Partnership’s Regional Creek Week. A representative from the Sustainable Carolina Team attends meetings throughout the year, both for logistical planning and communications of events. Carolina also hosts its own events on campus, including guided Creek Walks (~180 people total). This year, we also participated in the County’s geocaching event, providing coordinates for two different spots on campus that involved water sustainability. (https://sustainable.unc.edu/2023/12/100-days-until-we-celebrate-our-waterways-creek-week-2024/)
Our Chief Sustainability Officer is part of the Town of Chapel Hill’s Community Conversations. One Friday a month, he meets with town officials to discuss how Carolina and the surrounding community can work together to achieve their climate action goals. This resulted in our CSO giving a presentation at both the Town of Chapel Hill and the Town of Carrboro’s Town Council Meetings.
Our sustainability analyst is a member of an Orange County Group, composed of the Towns of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Every month, they meet to discuss their latest projects and how they can work together. Our analyst is also a member of a number of other energy groups, whose goal is to become less dependent on fossil fuels.
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6.2 Partnerships to support underrepresented groups and vulnerable populations
Description of the institution’s community partnerships to support underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations in addressing sustainability challenges:
Environmental Justice Action Research Clinic, Gillings School of Global Public Health
Carolina Across 100 - Reaching all 100 Counties in North Carolina
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6.3 Community partnership assessment
Publication that includes the community partnership guidelines:
Online resource that includes the institution’s community partnership guidelines:
Are all of the institution’s community partnerships for sustainability subject to an assessment process that includes joint evaluation by the institution and its community partners?:
Description of the institution’s approach to community partnership assessment and how the results are used to improve reciprocity and mutual benefit:
There are currently no institution-wide guidelines that cover reciprocity/mutual benefit with community partners. A workgroup set up by the Vice Chancellor for Research as part of a new strategic roadmap will be tackling that issue this calendar year (2025). The workgroup has also been tasked with formalizing an assessment process for community partnerships at an institutional level.
Many units within the university already have guidelines and assessment mechanisms in place. The Gillings School of Global Public Health has participated in such partnerships and practices for many years. The Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) offers community engagement services to help build, foster, strengthen and sustain partnerships between researchers and communities. They leverage the extensive expertise of community and academic experts affiliated with HPDP to provide tools, strategies, consultation, training and technical assistance to support the development, implementation and evaluation of engaged research projects at any stage from conception to dissemination.
https://hpdp.unc.edu/research-services/community-engagement/
Additional University departments with guidelines on community partnerships and assessment include:
- Equity-Centered Leadership Program in the Medical School, a validated model developed by an interdisciplinary team at UNC designed to address health disparities.
https://www.med.unc.edu/cher/equity-centered-leadership/ - Center for Public Service
Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars
https://college.unc.edu/2023/11/thorp-faculty-engaged-scholars-2023/ and
APPLES Service learning courses and internships. At the end of each semester, community partners are asked to participate in an online survey about their experience in partnering with an APPLES (service learning) course or hosting an APPLES (service learning) intern. Information collected through these surveys is key in directing the future of APPLES programs.
https://ccps.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/741/2019/08/APPLES-Community-Partner-Guide.pdf
- Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research
https://participatoryresearch.unc.edu/
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Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
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