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introduction: what is outreach? robert montjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

jay lamar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

william deutsch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

ted becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

keenan grenell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

barbara struempler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

chris rodger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

frances kochan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

conclusion: david wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

contacts: how to get involved in outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

other perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

what is outreach?"Outreach" refers to the function of applying academic expertise to the direct benefit

of external audiences in support of university and unit missions. A faculty endeavor

may be regarded as outreach scholarship for purposes of tenure and promotion if all the

following conditions are met: 1) there is a substantive link with significant human

needs and societal problems, issues or concerns; 2) there is a direct application of

knowledge to significant human needs and societal problems, issues or concerns; 3) there

is utilization of the faculty member's academic and professional expertise; 4) the ulti-

mate purpose is for the public or common good; 5) new knowledge is generated for the

discipline and/or the audience or clientele; and 6) there is a clear link/relationship

between the program/activities and an appropriate academic unit's mission.

- Auburn University Faculty Handbook, Chapter 3, Section 8C

\In the last issue of Perspectives, welooked at how the concept of outreach isevolving nationally. Auburn University isan important part of this movement. In thisissue we will focus on activities at Auburnin terms of both policy changes and theoutreach experiences of faculty and staff.

The national dialogue on outreach is richand active, fueled by publications such asErnest Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsideredand the Journal of Higher EducationOutreach and Engagement, conferencessponsored by organizations like theAmerican Association for HigherEducation and the National Association ofState Universities and Land GrantColleges, and even federal grant pro-grams such as those administered by theOffice of University Partnerships in theDepartment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment. Increasingly, outreach isseen as being broader than extension anddifferent from service. The term “engage-ment” is often used to imply a continuingrelationship between the academy andexternal audiences in which each sidebrings unique assets to work toward com-mon goals.

Meanwhile, Auburn University has madegreat progress in redefining and institu-tionalizing outreach. Since the last issue

of Perspectives, the Auburn UniversitySenate and the Board of Trustees unani-mously approved a new definition of out-reach (see facing page) and proceduresfor reporting and assessing outreachscholarship in the tenure and promotionprocess. These are now part of theFaculty Handbook. It was, if you will par-don the pun, a defining event. Rather thandefining outreach by means of specificexamples (continuing education, exten-sion, etc.) the new statement focuses onthe intent and outcomes of the scholarlyactivity – applying academic expertise tobenefit of external audiences in support of

“Defining outreach does not restrict the form ofscholarly product. It does establish a means ofassessing outreach scholarship so that it can becounted in the tenure and promotion process.”

- assistant vice president for University Outreach and professor of Political Science

robert montjoy

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university and unit missions. The who,what, when and where are left to the fac-ulty member.

A faculty member engaged in outreachis, ideally, drawing upon the same disci-pline-based knowledge that he or sheuses in classroom teaching or in theory-driven research. Indeed, most outreachdoes involve some form of instructionand/or research. And the outreach experi-ence should contribute to a faculty mem-ber’s knowledge as well, thereby strength-ening her or his instruction and research.

Defining outreach does not restrict theform of scholarly product. It does establisha means of assessing outreach scholar-ship so that it can be counted in the tenureand promotion process. The policy doesnot change the weight assigned to out-reach by the department or discipline, butprovides a method for documenting andassessing quality in outreach.

The Faculty Handbook definition of out-reach was the product of not only thenational discussion in the academy, but adecade-long effort by Auburn’s finest prac-titioners and scholars. In all, more than 40faculty campus wide addressed outreach

strategic planning, assessment and schol-arship in committees led by MauryMatthews, John Heilman, Wayne Flyntand Charles Hendrix. During that time,Auburn hosted a series of symposia onoutreach scholarship, published twostrategic reports and a monograph andsent faculty to present at two major nation-al conferences on outreach engagement.Indeed, Auburn can claim a hardy contri-bution to the concept of “scholarship ofapplication” as Boyer put it.

Since the adoption of the outreach defi-nition, the university has initiated its use intenure and promotion reviews. To date, Ihave visited almost every department oncampus presenting a workshop on plan-ning and reporting outreach scholarshipfor tenure and promotion. I have beenimpressed with the great variety of out-reach activities by Auburn faculty and theircommon enthusiasm for what they do. Inone respect the faculty motivation paral-lels that for community service, the altruis-tic instinct to do good. The distinctionbetween service and outreach, however,comes from the latter’s reliance on aca-demic expertise, and herein lies a second

motivation. People wish to test theirknowledge in complex, “real world,” situa-tions, to learn what works, and to increasetheir own understanding in the process.

In this issue of Perspectives, we contin-ue our discussion with Auburn faculty onthe role of outreach in their scholarship.Keenan Grenell, Ted Becker, Bill Deutsch,and Chris Rodger represent how variedoutreach scholarship can be among facul-ty at Auburn. Fran Kochan offers a leader-ship perspective as dean. Jay Lamar andBarbara Struempler both represent theperspectives of those with primaryappointments in outreach; Barb offers anadded perspective as past chair of theFaculty Senate that adopted the new defi-nition of outreach. To each, we thank youfor your participation.

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jWhen traveling Alabama Jay Lamardoesn't worry about being stranded.

"I used to think if I had a flat tire almostanywhere, I would know somebody whocould help me," says Lamar, associatedirector of AU's Center for the Arts &Humanities, outreach office of the Collegeof Liberal Arts.

"We do programs around the state in his-tory, literature and the arts," she says,adding, "If there's a county we haven'tbeen in, I don't know it. We do a lot of workin public libraries, schools, communities,local history groups, different organiza-tions in the state."

The center is closely allied with theAlabama Writers' Forum, the AlabamaCouncil on the Arts and the AlabamaHumanities Foundation.

"I think one of the most important thingsthat we do is bringing people together, andthey discuss their history and heritage andhave a chance to talk and learn," saysLamar, who has been with the centersince 1988.

Most programs are in smaller communi-ties.

"They don't have the same opportunitiesas metropolitan areas or college towns,"

says Lamar. "If you bring in a scholarwho's an expert on Steinbeck or Faulkneror World War II, then people comebecause they just love to have that oppor-tunity.

"I think that in Alabama, overall, there'skind of a growing trend toward becomingmore interested in education and culture,"

says Lamar, who adds that the center'sprograms have covered pre-EuropeanNative American history through 20th cen-tury politics and history.

When Lamar first came to the center,she called communities and "begged"them to host programs.

"Now people call us, and they haveideas, they want consultations, they havethings they are trying to do," she says,adding that helping communities developtheir own programs is one of the center'soriginal goals.

Some of the center's programs and des-ignations include: The Alabama Center forthe Book; Alabama Voices; Deep SouthRegional Humanities Center; DraughonSeminars; Helping Schools Through theArts and Humanities; and the AlabamaPrison Arts Initiative.

“I think one of the most important things that we do isbringing people together, and they discuss their history

and heritage and have a chance to talk and learn.”- associate director, Center for the Arts & Humanities

jay lamar

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TAlabama has 75,000 miles of streams –enough to wrap around the earth threetimes. Eight percent of all of the water inthe continental United States goesthrough Alabama.

“Alabama’s got more water than virtual-ly anywhere else,” says William Deutsch,research fellow and program director forAlabama Water Watch (AWW), headquar-tered in AU’s International Center forAquaculture and Aquatic Environments.

AWW, started 11 years ago and initiallyfunded by the Environmental ProtectionAgency and the Alabama Department ofEnvironmental Management, is a program

dedicated to developing citizen volunteermonitoring of the state’s lakes, streamsand coasts. More than 4,000 citizens have

been trained by AWW, which currentlyincludes 75 citizen groups.

“Auburn Fisheries has a 60-year tradi-tion of international work,” says Deutsch,who has been to the Philippines 25 timesin 10 years. He has also helped programsin Equador, Thailand and Brazil and will begoing “back to China” this year. He alsospeaks to 50 to 70 groups each year.

“Many of the low-tech, simple testingmethods we’ve developed here at Auburnare relevant and adaptable for the settingin a developing country,” he says.

“The goal of water watch groups is toassess their water to see what standard itmeets and then, hopefully, work towardremediation and fixing problems so that itcould one day be upgraded.”

From his “long list” of benefits from hiswork, Deutsch says, “I think the mostrewarding part would be when we see thelight bulb go on in these training work-shops, and then some weeks or monthslater you see a citizen group that’s reallycome alive and starts to realize that theyhave the power to collect the informationthey need to change their lives.”

“I think the most rewarding part would be when wesee the light bulb go on in these training workshops,... a citizen group that’s really come alive and starts

to realize that they have the power to collect theinformation they need to change their lives.”

- Research Fellow, Fisheries and Allied Aquaculturesand program director for Alabama Water Watch (AWW)

william deutsch

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jWhile many Alabamians talk about con-stitutional reform, Ted Becker, AU AlumniProfessor of political science, did some-thing about it.

In 2002, Becker initiated a simulatedconstitutional convention (SimConCon),an action experiment in democratic learn-ing. It involved approximately 30 under-graduate and graduate students and 20expert witnesses, with hearings, plenarysessions and lots of information, opinionand heated deliberation via electronicinformation and communications tech-nologies, giving citizens the opportunity toparticipate.

“I am using Auburn University as a baseof outreach to the world to inform, teach,advise and coordinate those who areinterested in using new information andcommunications technologies to assist inthe development of democracy world-wide,” says Becker.

Since 1995, Becker’s web sitehttp://frontpage.auburn.edu/tann/ haslogged more than 40,000 visitors from 95nations. It is rated in the top five percent ofall web sites, the top teledemocracy website by Yahoo, Lycos and Ask Jeeves andis one of USA Today’s Hot sites.

“I’ve advised governments, centers,institutes, agencies and individuals on var-ious kinds of research proposals via thisweb site,” says Becker. There’s no charge

for the service, “But I’d say this is a valu-able kind of outreach for any university todo.”

Of the SimConCon, Becker says, “I thinkthe students did a great job in coming upwith a new constitution for the state . . .Something I personally think would be aboon for the future of Alabama. I learned alot. The students learned a lot. And thefruits are there for all to see,”(http://frontpage.auburn.edu/simconcon/main.asp).

“Mixing teaching, research and outreachis by far the best teaching I do,” saysBecker. “The students love it. The commu-nity benefits. And I learn a lot. What couldbe better?”

“Mixing teaching, research and outreachis by far

the best teaching I do.”- AU Alumni Professor of Political Science

ted becker

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\In 1994 Keenan Grenell, associate pro-fessor of political science, "scribbled on ayellow legal pad the importance of a con-ference" focusing on African-Americanentrepreneurship. "I had no way of know-ing the . . . conference would grow towhere it is right now."

After nine years of national African-American Entrepreneurship Summits,Grenell coordinated an entrepreneurshipsummit in South Africa in 2003.

Grenell, now interim assistant provostfor AU's Office of Diversity andMulticultural Affairs, hoped to attractAfrican-Americans from the United States,Africa, the Caribbean and South Americato the summit in South Africa.

Although it will take decades to rectifythe economic results of apartheid, "What

I've found is some of the exact same prob-lems that blacks in South Africa face (cap-ital, staffing and competition) . . . are theones I find here with blacks in Americaand especially in Alabama."

"However, . . . their challenge is a littlegreater because they don't have the typeof infrastructure that can sustain blackentrepreneurship," says Grenell, addingthat there is a shortage of black attorneys,risk insurers, financial managers andaccountants.

Grenell, also head of the Master's ofPublic Administration Program, teachescontinuing education courses for electionsofficials through AU's partnership with TheElection Center in Houston, Texas.

"I've got students responsible for themanagement of elections in Miami andL.A.," he says.

But because of the summit, Grenell nowhas international contacts in corporateand governmental circles, and summitpapers have been published in theEntrepreneurship Policy Journal.

And for Grenell, outreach and scholar-ship are not mutually exclusive.

"Just because you engage in outreachdoesn't stop you from writing or publish-ing," he says. "What you do is chronicleyour activity. There are journals that wantthat, books that can be developed fromthat."

“Just because you engage in outreachdoesn’t stop you from

writing or publishing,”- interim assistant provost for AU’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

keenan grenell

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YFor Barbara Struempler, professor ofnutrition and food science and nutritionistwith the Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem, outreach is a two-way street.

“It’s important to take research-basedinformation . . . out to the people with thephilosophy that by educating them, theycan improve the quality of their life.

“And the turn around of that is whenthey have problems, you bring those prob-lems back to a research-based facilitywhich can address those issues, so youcan build on that knowledge,” saysStruempler.

For 19 years Struempler has beendoing exactly that.

“Much of it has been hands on, so it’sa kind of field work,” says Struempler,adding that typical extension programsinvolve community intervention. Thisissue-based programming addressesproblems not “unique solely to Alabama.”

Working in “real-life situations” is quitedifferent from teaching in a classroom,says Struempler.

“Our clientele are there because theyneed us. They have a problem. They’renot required to attend,” she says.

“So when you have learners and edu-

cators like that, I think there is an automat-ic engagement. You work together better.It’s more fun to teach, and it’s a real-lifesituation,” says Struempler, adding, “I find

consumer education, usually with adults,so rewarding compared to teaching in aclassroom.”

Struempler also chaired the AU FacultySenate in 2002. During that time, the sen-ate adopted an official definition of out-reach and guidelines to reward outreachactivity.

While acknowledging that outreach is“probably hard to evaluate,” adopting adefinition of outreach is the first step.

“We need the definition so people cansay that they do outreach and be reward-ed for those activities, and they know howto write it up so someone can evaluatewhat they are doing.”

“It’s important to take research-basedinformation... out to the people with the

philosophy that by educating them,they can improve the quality of their life.”

- AU professor of Nutrition and Food Science andnutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

barbara struempler

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YFor the past three summers, ChrisRodger, a professor of mathematics inAU’s College of Sciences andMathematics, has conducted math work-shops for approximately 80 of Alabama’sK-8 teachers.

And except for sessions in Auburn andMontgomery, most of Rodger’s effortshave been in West Alabama’s Black Belt.Working with a program originated atRutgers University, Rodger has conductedworkshops in Dallas (Selma) andLowndes counties for teachers from thosecounties as well as from Hale, Marion andPerry counties.

“The university should not be an island,”says Rodger. “When you step . . . outside

of Auburn-Opelika, you see somethingthat we should be doing something about,and we have the expertise to do it.”

But outreach, he says, is sometimes abalancing act.

“I do think that we should give teachersthe chance to take these tools and presentthem to their children so that they havethe opportunity to decide whether to usethem or not,” he says. “And that’s theproblem. I think that’s where we have tomake sure that the children have theopportunity to choose which way theywant to go without sort of forcing thechange of life on other people.”

Scholarship, says Rodger, is vital duringthe preparation stage.

“You have to know the work extremelywell to see what the main ideas are, andto find the ideas that you can present in auseful, comprehensive, understandableway to the people who need them,”Rodger says.

But the work is worth it to Rodger.“They are gaining skills that they would

otherwise not have,” he says. “One ofthem came with very poor skills and cameback with such excitement because shehad been given the confidence to let herchildren explore mathematics.

“It’s just so encouraging when youspend the time doing this outreach.”

“You have to know the work extremely wellto see what the main ideas are, and to find the ideas

that you can present in a useful, comprehensive,understandable way to the people who need them.”

- professor of mathematics in Auburn University's College of Sciences and Mathematics

chris rodger

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YFran Kochan, interim dean of AU'sCollege of Education, has been combiningoutreach, instruction and research sinceher teaching career began on a Pacificisland.

As a new teacher, she explored ways tomake reading programs relevant for stu-dents from a different culture. Collectingfolklore from the community, she becameinvolved in helping parents work with theirchildren.

And while a principal at a Floridaschool, one of Kochan's main goals wascreating a family/school/community part-nership.

"From those experiences," saysKochan, "I got, I think, a deep and pas-sionate belief that the only way educationcan be successful is to have the commu-nity be a part of it."

After Kochan came to Auburn, DavidWilson, associate provost and vice presi-dent for University Outreach, sponsored apanel of people from West Alabama, whooutlined for Auburn University the prob-lems faced by citizens in Alabama's BlackBelt region. AU had established a pres-ence in the area in 1993 with the School ofArchitecture's Rural Studio. AU Outreach

then funded a number of faculty grants forimproving conditions in West Alabama.

Kochan was hooked. "I was just so intrigued and thought,

'We need to be out there. We need to beworking with these people,'" says Kochan,who later became the director of theTruman Pierce Institute (TPI) — anagency which provides professionaldevelopment for educators. In 1995, TPIspearheaded the effort to organize theWest Alabama Learning Coalition(WALC).

The WALC, now directed by CynthiaReed, partners Black Belt K-12 schoolsystems with higher education. The insti-tutes of higher education involved in thecoalition include Auburn University,Tuskegee University, the University ofSouth Alabama, the University of West

“Students will often say or have said that they come outof my classes, and they are changed. And they

think differently, and they can take what I’m talkingabout and apply it. So it makes my teaching richer

because I can point to real examples, real-world things.”- interim dean of AU’s College of Education

frances kochan

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Alabama, Bevill State CommunityCollege, Reid State Technical College andConcordia College.

Although the initial educational partner-ship proved beneficial, says Kochan, thecoalition is now focusing more on theentire community.

"The focus is on improving education,but also on creating leadership in the com-munity that will look at how we can makethe whole community better."

At a land-grant university such asAuburn, Kochan says, "I think the Collegeof Education has a responsibility to beconnected to the community. I think part ofour goal and part of our role is to makesure that schools and communities areconnected, and that we're connected tothe field, because it's only by being outthere and seeing the world as it is and thestruggles that people have that we can bestrong ourselves. It's a part of who we areas a college. It's definitely part of who I amas a professional."

Just as Kochan brings communities andthe schools together, she also combinesAU's three missions of instruction,research and outreach.

"It doesn't have to be separate, in fact, Idon't think it should be. Almost all of my

writing . . . and almost all of my work hasbeen connected to my outreach," saysKochan.

Kochan says her outreach activitieshave "wonderfully" enhanced her teach-ing.

"It makes my teaching so alive, and ithas always done that," she says. "And Ithink it makes me more credible.

"Students will often say or have saidthat they come out of my classes, andthey are changed. And they think different-ly, and they can take what I'm talkingabout and apply it. So it makes my teach-ing richer because I can point to realexamples, real-world things. I think it defi-nitely enriches my teaching, always hasenriched my teaching," says Kochan.

Outreach has also enhanced herresearch.

"My research looks at collaboration. Ilook at how people learn to collaborate.How are partnerships made? What are thestruggles? What are the challenges?What facilitates this kind of work? So it'sall a big piece of the pie," says Kochan.

"I think the best way to make this hap-pen is to seriously look at your researchagenda and the teaching that you have todo, and then combine it all with outreach,

and it all works," she says. "And it's allricher and stronger."

But Kochan acknowledges that shemight not be able to practice her style ofoutreach somewhere else.

"I think we have a wonderful supportsystem for outreach in this college anduniversity," she says. "And I appreciatethe board of trustees and the (faculty) sen-ate and everybody in developing the out-reach scholarship and tenure program."

At a recent meeting of education deans,Kochan says, "I told them that AuburnUniversity had an outreach scholarshiptrack that you could use to get promotedand tenured. They could not believe that.And when I tell people this all over thecountry, they can not believe it. It's won-derful."

Having an outreach vice president, out-reach publications and emphasis on out-reach events "stimulates people to believein outreach, makes people see the valueof it, and makes people get excited," saysKochan.

"Without that, we couldn't do this work,and we couldn't believe we could do it."

DC

TAs we see from the various perspectivesin this booklet, outreach at Auburn is adynamic process from which both commu-nity and university benefit. Not only doesoutreach push knowledge into the com-munity to address problems, it serves as aconduit for information to return back tocampus to stimulate more research andimprove teaching methods.

Outreach also serves to engage the fac-ulty directly in this cycle of learning. Nolonger is the university detached from thecommunity it serves. The benefits here,too, are evident; the university can bemore responsive, even proactive, inaddressing community needs.

Just as the Faculty Handbook has rede-fined the role of outreach for professors,outreach is helping Auburn Universityredefine its role in the state of Alabama.Numerous initiatives are being launchedin conjunction with state and local govern-ments, other institutions and variousstakeholders to address critical issueswhich face our state – education, econom-ic development, constitutional reform,governmental excellence, recovery for theBlack Belt, quality of life and more.Harnessing its own significant resources

and influence, Auburn has moved the“ivory tower” to the trenches and frontlines of the effort to improve Alabama.

Of course, Auburn has always had astatewide presence as a land-grant insti-tution and as the state headquarters of theCooperative Extension System. Yet,Auburn long defined its role in the commu-

nity along disciplinary lines just as the uni-versity defined itself academically alongthe disciplines. Many individual programsof the university were conducted acrossthe state separately from one another.Today, the university increasingly mar-shals interdisciplinary resources address-ing needs holistically. More and more wesee faculty working side by side with theircolleagues from other academic depart-ments in a variety of comprehensive initia-tives throughout Alabama.

Auburn’s new definition of outreach bothsupports and encourages these collabora-tions. Truly, the whole is greater than thesum of its parts. In this “perspective,” Ichallenge you to be a part of this dynamicprocess of outreach that is very muchshaping the way we think about our rolesas faculty and as citizens.

“...outreach at Auburn is a dynamic processfrom which both community and university benefit.”

- Auburn University vice president for University Outreach and associate provost

david wilson

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\ÇäÉÄäxwAAAZxàThe Auburn University Outreach website (www.auburn.edu/outreach) contains a varietyof information on the university's outreach administration, programs and contacts.

For more information on Outreach strategic initiatives and faculty involvement, contact: Dr. Robert MontjoyAssistant Vice President for University Outreach213 Samford HallAuburn University, AL 36849(334)844-5700montjrs@auburn.edu

www.auburn.edu/outreach

DF

For other "perspectives" on University Outreach,please see the publications section of the outreach website for:

Strategic Planning for University Outreach at Auburn University

Faculty Participation in Outreach Scholarship: An Assessment Model

University Outreach: University Connections to Society

Perspectives on Outreach (2001)

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Auburn University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Employer©March 2004

A publication of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach;David Wilson, Vice President for University Outreach & Associate Provost;

Robert Montjoy, Assistant Vice President for University Outreach.Published by the Office of Outreach Information and Marketing; Ralph Foster, Director.

Material abridged from interviews conducted by Diane Clifton. Photos: Diane Clifton. Publication design: Janie Echols-Brown

www.auburn.edu/outreach