University of South Carolina
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

Approximately three years ago, the Office of Community Engagement was conceived to help our faculty, staff, students, and those external to the campus enhance their current integrally-related community-engaged teaching and learning, research, scholarship and creative activities and to provide guidance and assistance in initiating new activities. The Office of Community Engagement has since connected a number of USC offices, programs and people to help enhance the University's engagement and service efforts. The office has become our institutional spearhead in more clearly defining and articulating what community engagement is, what methods should be used in scholarly community engagement activities, and what constitutes appropriate recognition and professional development for those who commit to scholarly community engagement. Our University has come a long way in moving from individual entrepreneurship to interdisciplinary pursuits in many of our partnership and outreach activities. The office of Community Engagement and other community engagement and service offices on our campus will continue to provide guidance and support in the cohesive efforts that will define our engagement and service pursuits.

The University describes community engagement as opportunities to partner with our various communities for the mutual benefit of both the University and the community. This benefit typically involves a reciprocal exchange of knowledge and resources and leads to activities and initiatives that can address significant societal issues that ultimately contribute to the public good. The types of community partners the we recognize in our data collection include: community-based organizations, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, social organizations, and public or private schools.

The Office of Community Engagement currently captures community partnerships that were initiated and are maintained by faculty. This is a partial list of partners in this office. There is also an office of Student Engagement, USC Connect and Beyond the Classroom Matters that collect staff initiated and maintained student engagement opportunities: Brennan Elementary School, SC Center for Children's Books and Literacy, ABLE-SC, South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, SC Department of Social Services, Richland School District One, League of Women Voters of South Carolina, United Way Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands, Eau Claire Federation of Families, Federation of Families of SC (supporting families of children with mental illnesses), Harvest Hope Food Bank, Richland County Recreation Commission, Beaufort Middle School, Richland County School District One, Hand Middle School, Epworth Children's Home, Lexington School District Four, Union County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, C.A. Johnson High School, Lexington County Solicitor's Office, St. Lawrence Place/Palmetto Place Children's Shelter, SC Department of Agriculture, Lexington School District One, Brooklyn-Cayce High School, W.A. Perry Middle School, Richland County Public Libraries, Columbia Urban League, Richland County Public Defender, etc.