Engagement in Practice: Lessons From a Large Engagement Program During a Pandemic

Abstract 2020 has been a challenging year for many across the globe. Universities and colleges were disrupted in the spring, as students were sent home and classes moved online. While this was taxing for all educators and students, community-engagement was particularly challenged, given its reliance on interactions with community partners and often team-based project work This paper documents how one large community engagement program at a large midwestern public university adjusted to the move online in the spring and the new logistical realities of fall. Contacts with many partners were reduced or eliminated all together in the spring while students moved online. Many teams continued their work and adapted to balance student learning and the community-engagement as best they could. In the fall semester, some students in this program returned to campus while others participated online. New restrictions on team meetings and laboratories changed the model for the class. With over 120 active projects and over 50 community partners, the adaptations and impact varied across design teams. Projects with local partners were disrupted in the spring and returned more toward normal in the fall but with more remote communication. National and international projects were also disrupted, with travel to sites eliminated. This paper will share the process used for the year, examine student evaluations and artifacts and the impact on community partners. The data shows that the student experience remained strong, even with the disruptions. Community partners remained committed to program and their partnership with the program.