Alfred State students, faculty, and staff generate positive impact in the larger community year after year.  This impact through civic engagement takes place through live work, internships, practicums, co-curricular activities, international study, capstone courses, clinical placements and other types of applied learning.  Our learning community excels at applying knowledge and skills to address challenges and solve problems as productive contributors in the workforce and as active citizens.

The Civic Action Plan was developed through a collaborative process of discovery and input.  The outcome is twenty-four specific actions that provide a roadmap to enhancing the impact of our teaching, learning, and institutional practices to advance the public good.   The plan envisions high impact community engagement as a core element of the co-curricular and/or curricular student experience.

The Civic Action Plan paralleled a college wide strategic planning process and complements key elements of the strategic plan associated with our public purpose.  The following actions will be implemented alongside strategic plan strategies, goals, and objectives in 2017.

Strategic Priority: Applied Learning

1. CAP Action/Tactic: Explore designation of classes as civic engagement intensive at the course level for recognition on student transcripts
2. CAP Action/Tactic:  Enhance promotion and highlight successes of curricular and co-curricular civic engagement activities on both campuses
3. CAP Action/Tactic:  Increase availability and diversity of intensive off-campus learning experiences that incorporate community engagement (i.e. Semester in the South, Haiti, Sorrento)

Strategic Priority: Diversity/Inclusion

1. CAP Action/Tactic:  Facilitate college forums to promote thoughtful and respectful conversation around current issues
2. CAP Action/Tactic: Expand opportunities for inter-cultural sharing and education

Strategic Priority: Faculty & Staff Excellence

1. CAP Action/Tactic:  Enhance professional development opportunities that share civic engagement best practices
2. CAP Action/Tactic:  Explore developing greater emphasis in the promotion and tenure process to recognize extra effort invested in community engaged activities
3. CAP Action/Tactic:  Streamline the process to report data and track impact of curricular and co-curricular civic engagement
4. CAP Action/Tactic:  Expand recognition of faculty/staff involved in civic engagement
5. CAP Action/Tactic:  Deliver enhanced logistical and financial support to faculty/staff to support creation and organization of community engaged activities in classes and programs
6. CAP Action/Tactic:  Facilitate recruitment, hiring, and onboarding practices that communicate a culture of civic engagement
7. CAP Action/Tactic:  Develop greater collaboration with leadership groups in the Southern Tier

Strategic Priority: Local & Regional Impact

1. CAP Action/Tactic:  Deepen and increase collaboration with K-12 schools
2. CAP Action/Tactic:  Develop institutional definition and indicators for effective community partnerships
3. CAP Action/Tactic:  Expand incentives for meaningful student community engagement
4. CAP Action/Tactic:  Mitigate transportation barriers to student community engagement  
5. CAP Action/Tactic:  Generate effective advertisement around community service opportunities
6. CAP Action/Tactic:  Create purposeful connections between student clubs and community partners
7. CAP Action/Tactic:  Enhance sustainability literacy and practices alongside strategic partners
8. CAP Action/Tactic:  Continue investing in the local economy through procurement and purchasing practices

Strategic Priority: Student Success

• CAP Action/Tactic:  Develop robust electronic platform to share and connect civic engagement opportunities with students, faculty, and staff

1. CAP Action/Tactic:  Increase the quantity and quality of external advisory boards across the institution
2. CAP Action/Tactic:  Promote incorporation of service, leadership, and campus employment in student co-curricular transcript
3. CAP Action/Tactic:  Enhance civic service and learning opportunities specifically for ASOP/EOP students