In March 2016, Campus Compact, a nationwide organization of colleges and universities dedicated to community and civic engagement, provided a challenge to all affiliated colleges to create a tangible plan to reconnect with their communities.

Gateway Technical College educates tomorrow’s leaders, professionals, and workers. The responsibility we have to our students, faculty, and staff is to ensure their connection to education, skill development, and the community in which they live, work, and serve. Through the creation of the Civic Action Plan, we have committed to intentionally offer the opportunities for students and staff to engage as citizens within our community and campus.

By creating measurable goals associated with the guided commitments developed through Campus Compact, we have developed a pathway to foster the civic development and engagement of our students and staff in a way that is purposeful and intentional within the community.

The Civic Action Plan will support college-wide efforts in increasing enrollment, persistence, retention, and completion rates while encouraging and supporting our staff in engaging in a defined culture of service. Focusing on educational and experiential opportunities, which include a strong community engagement focus along with accountable assessment practices, will help us accomplish these goals. Increasing our culture of service will help us engage our students and staff at Gateway and the community.