2009 ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Please add narrative text that responds to the questions in the four categories below.

Implementation of Student Development Implementation of Community Partnerships Campus-Wide Culture and Infrastructure  Serve 2.0  Campus Issue Profiles

 

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Implementation of Student Development

 

What was the structure and content for the implementation of the developmental model this year?  In particular, please share (no more than one page text needed):

• The Structure for training, courses, & meetings
• Cornerstone Activities including First Year Trip, Second Year Exchange, Third Year (and beyond) Leadership Roles, and Senior Capstone & Presentation of Learning
• Roles of Student Leaders in integration of the Serve 2.0 initiative (e.g., developing and using web-based tools for service)

 

      This year we utilized the resources from our Peer Leadership Council (PLC) to plan monthly meetings. Each meeting focused on a different topic of discussion. Some of our topics included: The Influence of Media in the Election and Mountain Top Removal. The students utilized different resources such as special presentations from faculty to YouTube videos to create discussion. The students who were chosen to be on this council were required to spend one hour a week in the office planning meetings and service trips.

      Bonner Development was lead this year by our two senior interns. Together they assisted the freshman in the transition from high school service to college level service. Each of the freshmen were placed in sites that worked with their schedules and second semester were able to explore other sites they wanted to serve at.  One major change to our program was the “No Pledging Policy” that went into effect this year. Freshman Bonners were not able to join any organization which required a pledging process. We and the students found this to be a successful practice and subsequently, made for a more successful first year spring service trip to Center for Student Mission in Nashville with no distractions lingering from the spring pledge process.

      Waynesburg University hosted this year’s sophomore exchange. In February, we traveled to Pittsburgh and worked alongside the Waynesburg Bonners at World Vision. This has become a great partnership and we are planning to do another exchange in Buckhannon next year.

      Junior and seniors coordinated a spring break service trip to New York City. The group split into two and worked with two different sites focused on AIDS Awareness. The Rivington House and God’s Love We Deliver were great hosts and we plan on making this an annual event.

      Each of the seniors presented a senior capstone project this year. Many of them utilized different forms of media from video to power point presentations. Students talked about where they have been and what they have learned because of Bonner.

      Wesleyan Bonners have embraced the Serve 2.0 initiative with open arms. The wiki has become our hub for information and forms. Student leaders such as our Senior Program Intern have welcomed the transition from other on campus tools such as Angel.

     

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Implementation of Community Partnerships

Please share a summary of your work with community partners, highlighting your work regarding  (no more than one page text needed):

•  Arrangement and management of community partnerships and placements (orientation, site visits, meetings, strategic planning)
•  How partners were engaged as co-educators, including academic linkages, courses, and student advising
• Partnerships managed through site-based or issue-oriented teams, as well as other issue-based organizing undertaken
• Capacity building initiatives for community partners (such as workshops, policy research, or resource development)

     Every year we continue to work closely with our communtiy partners. This year is no different. Our community is facing the challenges that many are in these tough economic times. We continue to work with our local Family Resource Network (FRN) to create new partnerships with local agencies.

 

     On Tuesday, August 26, the Center for Community Engagement held its first annual Volunteer Service Fair, featuring a variety of community partners hosting tables at the French A. See Dinning Center to inform Wesleyan faculty, staff and students of their local organizations and causes. Before the Service Fair began, community partners took time to attend a short workshop led by Dr. Kimberly Yousey and Brooke Rawson. The workshop presented information regarding the newly formed Center, ways to access student volunteers on campus, and best practices of community engagement and service-learning. 

• Buckhannon-Upshur Community Organizations in attendance: William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital; Young Life; Stockert Youth Center; Stonewall Jackson Lake; Head Start; Lewis/Upshur Community Corrections; Literacy Volunteers of Upshur County; Opportunity House; Upshur County Family Resource Network; Upshur County Parish House; Buckhannon River Watershed Association; United Way of Gilmer, Lewis and Upshur Counties; Buckhannon River Habitat for Humanity; 4-H; Army Corps of Engineers (Pittsburgh)

 

     A new network of WV VISTAs formed to support the sustainability of community engagement and service within higher education institutions.  These VISTAs support various initiatives and programs, such as service-learning, community-based research, social media and the Bonner program.  The network includes the following colleges and universities:

• Concord University

• Shepherd University

• West Virginia Wesleyan College and

• Wheeling Jesuit University

 

     Members of the WVWC Community Engagment Initiive continue to create new partnerships through board representation. LeeAnn Brown serves on the local Head Start Board of Directors and FRN Board. Dr. Kim Elsner(Yousey) serves on the Ministerial Association and the Main Street Arts Co-Op Board.

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Campus-Wide Culture and Infrastructure 

Please describe key activities and structures related to the development of campus-wide infrastructure and the role of the Bonner Program in enhancing (or being enhanced by) campus-wide culture and participation in service.  In particular, share  (no more than one page text needed):

• Key activities for faculty engagement and academic connections.  In particular, note any connections to curricular offerings that are linked to the Bonner Program.
• Key relationships and activities involving other departments or divisions on campus (for example for recruitment, student wellness or retention, financial aid, and so on).
• Unique initiatives (such as events, assessment, or strategic planning) that have enhanced institutionalization of service and civic engagement on campus.

 

• Dr. Kimberly Yousey accepted the position for the Dean of Community Engagement at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Yousey has a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from New York University, a Master of Education from Kent State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Baldwin-Wallace College. Yousey began her position at the newly created Center for Community Engagement on July 1, 2008.
• At the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year, the Center for Community Engagement held an open house for faculty, staff, students and community partners to familiarize members of the surrounding community of the Center’s strategic plan and the various projects and events to be implemented that year. All groups were represented well, including a visit by President Balch.

• Wesleyan and Oxfam Host 2008 “Engaging Our World” Conference

  This fall, West Virginia Wesleyan College and Oxfam America co-hosted the 2008 Engaging Our World Conference in conjunction with the 2008 Bonner Scholars Fall Congress Meeting. 300 students, administrators and organization representatives from 65 campuses and 20 organizations came to Wesleyan’s campus October 24-26, 2008 to attend workshops and events centered on social justice, as well as the keynote speaker on Saturday evening, Raj Patel.

  Friday, October 24th, the conference began with a welcoming session - both to welcome everyone to West Virginia Wesleyan and to the engaging conference starting that evening. Student leaders on the EOW Planning Committee introduced themselves, as well as a short video to discuss EOW and Bonner Congress as one event. Also, Dr. Eric Waggoner (English) sang and performed songs for the audience centered around political engagement.

  Saturday, October 25th, the workshops began in the morning covering topics from homeless voting rights to fair vs. free trade, and social media to mountain top removal. At lunch and in the late afternoon, organization representatives set up their tables in French A. See Dining Hall to energize students in social justice topics like political research, Ugandan genocide, mountaintop removal and legislation to end poverty. Following the Organizational Fair, EOW attendees ate an “Eat So They Can” dinner in which campus groups donate and cook food, and the admission for the dinner goes toward one international and one local non-profit.

  That evening, Kitty Correal, a junior International Studies major, and Dr. Kimberly Yousey welcomed on stage Raj Patel as the 2008 EOW Keynote Speaker. Patel, a journalist, food policy expert and author of the book Stuffed and Starved, spoke to a large crowd in Wesley Chapel about the systems in the world food market that negatively affect the distribution of food, as well as its by-products: quality/quantity of food, the global economy, poverty, the environment, fuel, consumerism and so on. Following his talk, the students in the audience engaged in a dynamic Q&A session.

  Immediately following Raj’s talk, three female Wesleyan students - Cara Clark, Jennifer Jones and Emily Zahn - performed their rendition of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues”. Zahn commented, “‘Vagina Monologues’ helps to raise awareness on abuse and injustice so it was important to do this show at a social justice conference. ” The show is also a part of the charity “V-Day”.

  Sunday, October 26, signaled the closing of the EOW conference with guests Wayne Meisel, President of the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, and Senator John Unger II, West Virginia State Senator, speaking to a crowd of attendees in Wesley Chapel. Both Meisel and Unger addressed how students can impact civic and community engagement on their campuses and beyond. Furthermore, both stressed the importance to not only vote in the upcoming presidential election, but to also hold whichever candidate accountable for actual, positive “change” after November 4th.

• 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Awards

  On January 19, 2009, the WVWC campus community gathered in Wesley Chapel for the 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. ‘Celebration of Service’ to honor those who serve communities local to global, and to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy of social justice.  For the past year, the award winners not only engaged in service-related activities, but also research, advocacy, service-learning and social justice projects and events.  A list of the winners and their awards can be found on the CCE wiki: 2009 MLK 'Celebration of Service'.

• CCE Sponsors Faculty Development Series

  On March 10, 2009, the Center for Community Engagement held its first sponsored Faculty Development Series event to discuss the fourth bullet of Wesleyan’s mission statement that indicates graduating students will be able to “demonstrate their local and global citizenship through service.”  The workshop engaged faculty in a discussion about the differences between “service” and “engagement”, how the institution as a whole can engage students in current issues, and how service-learning can be assessed.  Within the next few months, the series will continue the discussion with experiential learning, the use of technology, and course development strategies.  The series will conclude in an open retreat for faculty to develop strategies and plans for course integration via community-based research, policy research, direct service-learning, issue-based learning and more.

• CE Graduation Requirement Approved by Curriculum Council

  The proposal submitted to Curriculum Council in February detailing a CE requirement for all Wesleyan students was officially approved this April.  Beginning in the 2010 Fall semester, first-year seminar students will participate in one of eight available Service Days.  After their experience in first-year seminar, students will then complete their community engagement requirement at Wesleyan by taking at least one CE-designated course before graduation.  Within the proposal, the requirements are intentionally designed to be completely integrated into current practices of the first-year seminar, as well as open for designation within other requirements, such as major/minor and general education requirements.  While the requirement will not be instated until Fall 2010, a pilot program for the first year service days will be implemented Fall 2009 with all first-year seminars.

• International Service Course Offered to Students

  An international service course to Belize has been created for students at Wesleyan for May 2009.  Led by Evey Hepinger and Dr. Sue Leight (Nursing), the students will be immersed in the Belizean culture, and will also coordinate and implement a series of programs for the local children.  Programming includes an education series on the environment and ecology of Belize, as well as the importance of health and hygiene.

 

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Serve 2.0 

Please highlight your key activities related to the integration of web-based tools as they are connected to the design, management, and outreach for service.  In particular, share  (no more than one page text needed):

• Link to your campus-wide service center or Bonner Program wiki ,web-site, or Ning site. Please explain how it’s most used and by whom.

Center for Community Engagement Wiki -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com

     Our CCE wiki is a hub of information for Wesleyan faculty, staff, students and our community partners in regards to service. We feature several programs, initiatives, courses, resource pages, directories and information on annual events and service opportunities. 

Programs

     AmeriCorps VISTA -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/VISTA -- We have a page for our AmeriCorps VISTA program, including links to VISTA resources, and profiles of the current VISTAs in the CCE. It is mostly used by our VISTAs and CCE staff for resources and when referring to VISTA job openings.

     Bonner Program -- http://wvwcbonner.pbworks.com -- Our Bonner Program has a separate wiki space for students and staff within the Bonner Program at Wesleyan. This site is mostly a resource and planning center, featuring a calendar, information on policies and procedures, summer service sites, and event details. (i.e. 2009 Bonner Orientation, group reflections, etc.) 

     RESULTS -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/RESULTS -- Our newly-formed student chapter of RESULTS has it's own page on the CCE wiki. Student leaders of the group contribute to the page, which mostly includes resources and profiles. Students of the group use the page to find out who their Congress representatives are and their contact information, as well as updates on new campaigns and "results".

 

Initiatives

     The CE Initiative -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/The-CE-Initiative -- "The CE Initiative" is a chronological register of the institutional news and events that have occurred within the adopted community engagement initiative at West Virginia Wesleyan. It is mostly used by the CCE staff, as well as faculty, staff, administrators and community partners who serve in strategic planning roles on campus.

     Sustainability Task Force -- http://wvwsustainability.pbworks.com -- This wiki serves as a resource for the Sustainability Task Force to help organize and educate the campus community of the newly-adopted sustainability initiative. At this time, the site is mostly visited by the Task Force for contributions to the mission, membership and strategic plan.

     Weekly Service Opportunities -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/Weekly-Service-Opportunities -- The WSO is purely a resource for the Wesleyan campus community and its community partners that lists service, conference and job/internship opportunities that involve service. This is mostly used by individual students and numerous student groups who require service on a regular basis.

 

Courses/Resources

     Belize May Term Service Trip -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/Belize-2009 -- This page holds information and resources for the 2009 Belize May Term Service Trip. Students and trip leaders Dr. Sue Leight and Evey Hepinger used the wiki to organize the trip logistics and procedures, as well as the syllabus and course requirements.

     Faculty -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/Faculty-Resources --  Our faculty page has information regarding the CE Course Development Sub-Grants and links to service-learning, policy research and general community engagement resources.

 

Directories

     Community Partner -- http://wvwc.pbworks.com/Alphabetical-List-of-Community-Partners -- This page is the beginning of a directory of Wesleyan's community partner base. In the future, it will be used by the whole campus community to obtain more information about the opportunities available, whether they be for service-learning courses, or group projects.

 

• Your integration with other social media tools (such as the Bonner Network Forum/Ning, Twitter, YouTube, the Bonner Video Project, PolicyOptions Wiki, or others)

WVWC Bonner YouTube Channel --  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71887377477&ref=ts

WVWC Bonner Scholars Facebook Group -- http://www.youtube.com/user/wvwcbonner

 

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Campus Issue Profiles

Add links to your completed or draft campus issue profiles here:

• Youth Development