The IU Center for Rural Engagement and the IU Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement invite Indiana University faculty, staff, and students who are involved in community-engaged work, to participate in the Spring 2025 IU Statewide Community Engagement Institute. Formerly known as the IU Community Engagement Unconference, this day-long event will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union on the IU Bloomington campus. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:15 a.m.
Faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to submit posters to present at the Institute that share their stories of community engagement by February 15, 2025.
A Participant-Driven Conference
Now in its third year, this participant-driven conference brings together representatives from all IU campuses to share best practices, explore collaborative opportunities, and strengthen IU’s community engagement networks. With a focus on interdisciplinary work, student opportunities, and service to the state, the Institute highlights the importance of multi-campus and community collaborations to advance university goals as well as address pressing community issues.
The Institute will feature Andrew Furco, former University of Minnesota associate vice president for public engagement, presenting a keynote address on The Importance of Community Engagement for R1 and Regional Campuses.
“Our goals for the Institute are to express the significance and value of community engagement and to support and strengthen our IU networks that facilitate community engagement work via research, creative activity, teaching, service, and public scholarship,” said Todd Burkhardt, PhD, director of campus partnerships at the Center for Rural Engagement.
The second annual conference, “IU Community Engagement Unconference: Better Together,” was highlighted in a special issue of ENGAGE!, IU Indianapolis’ first journal dedicated to community-engaged and community-based participatory research. This issue showcased reflections from IU faculty, staff, and students on diverse community-engaged research topics featured at the 2024 conference. This year’s Institute builds on that momentum, inviting attendees to deepen their connections and broaden their impact.
Burkhardt said, “Each year, this conference builds on the discussions and learnings from our previous sessions, continuing the conversation, strengthening relationships, and sharing best practices.”
Who Should Attend?
The Institute welcomes university leadership, faculty, staff, and students interested in advancing community-engaged research, creative activity, scholarship, and teaching. Attendees will have opportunities to network with colleagues, share ideas, and lay the foundation for multi-campus community engagement projects. “This conference is for leadership, faculty, staff, and students who recognize the importance of working with the community. It’s deeply rooted in collaboration, trust, authenticity, and a desire to serve something larger than oneself,” said Burkhardt.
“Community engagement work overlays across all three pillars of the IU 2030 Strategic Plan: student success, transformative research, and service to the state,” said Burkhardt.
Conference Takeways
Burkhardt hopes attendees take away “the larger picture of how we are better together. The power of relationships, trust, and transformative partnerships facilitates creativity, innovation, cultural humility, civic engagement, and impactful work.”
Call for Posters
Are you leading a community-engaged project? Showcase your work during the conference’s poster session! Faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to submit their posters by February 15, 2025, to share their stories of community engagement.
Registration and Logistics
- Fee: $10 for faculty and staff; free for students
- Travel Support: Parking validation for participants and mileage reimbursement scholarships for students are available for participants traveling from other IU campuses. Students are invited to contact ajanke@iu.edu to learn more about scholarships.
- Overnight Accommodations: A discounted room block is available at the Indiana Memorial Union Biddle Hotel. Reserve your room.
Register and see the full agenda for the Spring 2025 IU Statewide Community Engagement Institute. For additional information, contact ajanke@iu.edu.