Call for Proposals: TRUCEN Showcase

TRUCEN Showcases are in-person campus-hosted convenings focused on specific topics, issues, or opportunities that advance civic and community engagement within R1 institutions.  These convenings can range from 1-3 days and are intentionally flexible to allow for campus-hosts to design an experience that addresses their interests and capacity.

We want to host our first TRUCEN Showcase in late 2023 or January 2024.  Are you interested in hosting this year or in the future?  Reach out to Bobbie at blaur@compact.org to explore your idea and discuss the next steps.  Priority consideration for hosting the 2023/January 2024 Showcase will be given to those that reach out before August 7th.

TRUCEN Showcases are in-person campus-hosted convenings focused on specific topics, issues, or opportunities that advance civic and community engagement within R1 institutions.  These convenings can range from 1-3 days and are intentionally flexible to allow for campus-hosts to design an experience that addresses their interests and capacity.

We want to host our first TRUCEN Showcase in late 2023 or January 2024.  Are you interested in hosting this year or in the future?  Reach out to Bobbie at blaur@compact.org to explore your idea and discuss the next steps.  Priority consideration for hosting the 2023/January 2024 Showcase will be given to those that reach out before August 7th.

Key considerations of TRUCEN Showcases include:

1. Team participation is encouraged. TRUCEN Showcases offer a unique opportunity for teams of practitioners, faculty, and leaders to attend from member campuses and dive deep into a promising practice or issue and return to their home campus ready to take action.  While campus-hosts have the ability to determine the ideal size and structure, estimated group sizes are between 10-20 people per Showcase.  The goal is to keep the group small enough that it is manageable to operate and facilitate deep learning and exchange.
2. Community partners should be centered in the agenda and experience and compensated appropriately.
3. Showcases should be affordable.  These shouldn’t be compared to organizing a conference or symposium but rather a site visit with colleagues.  Campus-hosts would be responsible for developing and executing the agenda, identifying affordable accommodations, and hosting at least one social dinner for the group.  Campus Compact will support the campus-host throughout the process as a thought partner in the agenda development, soliciting interest from members and providing logistical support as needed.  Campus Compact will provide campus-hosts with $2500 to support expenses.
4. The Showcase must have a specific focus or topic area. Two experience concepts include (but we are not limited to these):

• Place-based experience that is anchored by a physical environment connected to civic and community engagement.  Learning about the center/facility is a key component of the Showcase. (for example: Creating neighborhood-based community engagement centers to advance the institution’s community engagement/anchor mission)
• Issue-based experience that the institution is particularly advancing that would be served by being in place (for example: Developing a strategic plan for civic engagement or deepening civically engaged teaching and learning through public health)

Thank you to the Showcase Working Group for building out the design and plans for this new programmatic offering.  Mindi Levin, Founder and Director of Johns Hopkins University's SOURCE, Kate Doughtery Grace, Director of the Community Building and Social Change Fellowship Program at Emory University; and Agnieszka Nance, Executive Director of Tulane University's Center for Public Service. 

Additional information: 

• The hope is to offer one or two of these a year, depending on interest and availability
• The Showcases will be in addition to the in-person annual convening, which will now occur in alignment with the annual Compact conference.  The University of Colorado Boulder will host the 2024 TRUCEN convening on Sunday, April 7th, and Monday, April 8th — save the dates now.
  • Compact24 runs April 8-10 in Denver, CO. Register by 8/15 for Compact24 to save over 25% off regular member conference pricing! The Call for Proposals is also open now—we’re hoping to have a track of TRUCEN presentations throughout the conference, along with some dedicated networking and social gathering opportunities for the network.

Bobbie Laur

Campus Compact President

m: 443-235-3598 e: blaur@compact.org  compact.org

My pronouns: she/her/hers

educating citizens | building communities