Our mission
Calvin University has a long commitment to connecting its educational mission to the strengths and needs of the local community. Ernest Boyer, former President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, argued in 1996 that in order for higher education to advance intellectual and civic progress in this country, “the academy must become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, economic and moral problems.” He called for higher education to broaden the scope and understanding of its academic mission to include the scholarship of engagement so that the rich resources of the university or college will be linked to addressing societal problems.
In 2004, the university created a new position within the Office of the Provost mandated:
to coordinate and envision for the purpose of academic engagement Calvin’s efforts within the community in which it resides.
The Office of Community Engagement is focused on identifying strategic priorities, facilitating collaboration between university and community, challenging academic departments and encouraging faculty to use their teaching and research in focused ways to serve a larger community.
Events
- Fall 2019 CEAP Poster Session
- Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 3:30pm— Prof. Mark Muyskens will give a historical perspective on the activities of the Calvin Environmental Assessment program referring to the results from a surface water quality study on campus to describe significant impacts related to water and our place in the watershed. More information here.