Campus Compact invites members to join in a series of “coalition conversations” for collective thinking and action focused on common themes in our work. These conversations are part of our coalition-building work, driven by members committed to collaboratively advancing community and civic engagement work in higher education. 

How do institutions re-engage their students in deep, meaningful community engagement following the pandemic? The safety concerns of the last 18 months have disrupted both curricular and co-curricular student engagement. Now, the transition back to “normal” has begun. While we recognize that many innovative practices resulted from the pandemic, most campuses are now facing lower student engagement levels due to challenges like low motivation, increasing academic demands, increasing mental health concerns, and changes in campus community belonging traditions and practices. How can we evolve our practice—not to simply replicate what we did prior to the pandemic—but to creatively engage students to meet the most pressing community priorities while honoring their own needs?