What is outreach and engagement?
Faculty and academic staff participate in outreach and engagement when — through their research, creative activity, teaching, and/or service — they leverage their scholarly or professional expertise for the benefit of and often in collaboration with communities and/or organizations outside the academy. That is, outreach and engagement is scholarly activity conducted for the direct benefit of audiences external to the academy: for example, government agencies, businesses, health and welfare organizations, preK-12 schools, non-profit organizations, the general public, and the like. In its most community-engaged form, this work involves shared goals, expertise, resources, and results in mutually identified benefits.
Who should complete this survey?
All faculty, academic specialists, research associates, extension staff with academic appointments, and visiting faculty are asked to complete this survey. Adjunct faculty, graduate assistants, administrative professionals, and other MSU employees are not included at this time. Even if you did NOT participate in any outreach and engagement activities during this period, please continue and enter "0" in the first question. Nothing further will be asked of you.
What to report?
Outreach and engagement cuts across the traditional categories of scholarly work, neither a separate sphere of activity distinct from teaching or research, nor identical with "service." Consequently, this survey asks you to report on projects and activities that you may have reported in other places as instruction, research, or creative activities. After offering examples of the many forms outreach and engagement can take, the first question of this survey asks you to estimate the percentage of all of your academic work (i.e., instruction, advising, research and creative activity, service, and administration) that represents your outreach and engagement effort.
Thank you for taking the time to help us gather this important data.
Respectfully,
Kwesi Brookins
Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement
Michigan State University