| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.12 |
| Liaison | Maria Dahmus |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
University of St. Thomas
IN-25: Network for Student Social Innovation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Christopher
Michaelson Opus Distinguished Professor of Principled Leadership Ethics and Business Law |
Is the institution currently designated or actively participating in the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Changemaker Campus (Ashoka U.) | Yes |
| CGI University Network | No |
| An equivalent, external network for institutions that support student social innovation that has been approved by AASHE | No |
Documentation affirming the institution’s participation in an external network to support student social innovation:
Website URL where information affirming the institution’s participation in an external network to support student social innovation is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
In April 2017, the University of St. Thomas was named a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U (Ashokau.org), a consortium of over 40 colleges working to inspire a culture of social innovation and changemaking in higher education. The Changemaker Campus designation aligns with the University of St. Thomas’ mission (to “educate students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good”) by emphasizing the value of curriculum and programming that help campus members empathize with community stakeholders, develop understanding, and build true collaborations to solve social and environmental problems.
In 2020, Ashoka U announced that it was no longer designating new Changemaker Campuses. Rather, it is transitioning to a new decentralized model in which it will focus on spreading ideas, enabling the leadership of its partners, including Changemaker Campuses, and building collaborations on global and regional initiatives with Ashoka country offices and programs around the world. As one of eight institutions with a seat on Ashoka U’s Network Advisory Committee, and as the host of the 2020 Ashoka U Exchange, St. Thomas will be one of the key institutions shaping a future vision for Changemaker Campuses and our work with Ashoka U’s parent organization, Ashoka.
Within St. Thomas, a 35-member Change Team – representing every major unit of the university, and composed of students, staff, and faculty – works to identify and inspire changemaking. In 2019-2020, the Change Team evaluated and prioritized changemaking activities, including sustainability. It adopted four overarching goals and associated measures to aspire to and monitor progress in the long term. They pertain to changemaking through community-engaged courses, changemaking beyond the classroom, changemaking in students’ future careers, and consideration of changemaking in administrative decision-making. Those goals were presented to, and accepted by, senior administrators and academic deans for implementation in 2020-2021.
In April 2017, the University of St. Thomas was named a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U (Ashokau.org), a consortium of over 40 colleges working to inspire a culture of social innovation and changemaking in higher education. The Changemaker Campus designation aligns with the University of St. Thomas’ mission (to “educate students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good”) by emphasizing the value of curriculum and programming that help campus members empathize with community stakeholders, develop understanding, and build true collaborations to solve social and environmental problems.
In 2020, Ashoka U announced that it was no longer designating new Changemaker Campuses. Rather, it is transitioning to a new decentralized model in which it will focus on spreading ideas, enabling the leadership of its partners, including Changemaker Campuses, and building collaborations on global and regional initiatives with Ashoka country offices and programs around the world. As one of eight institutions with a seat on Ashoka U’s Network Advisory Committee, and as the host of the 2020 Ashoka U Exchange, St. Thomas will be one of the key institutions shaping a future vision for Changemaker Campuses and our work with Ashoka U’s parent organization, Ashoka.
Within St. Thomas, a 35-member Change Team – representing every major unit of the university, and composed of students, staff, and faculty – works to identify and inspire changemaking. In 2019-2020, the Change Team evaluated and prioritized changemaking activities, including sustainability. It adopted four overarching goals and associated measures to aspire to and monitor progress in the long term. They pertain to changemaking through community-engaged courses, changemaking beyond the classroom, changemaking in students’ future careers, and consideration of changemaking in administrative decision-making. Those goals were presented to, and accepted by, senior administrators and academic deans for implementation in 2020-2021.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.