Thriving Communities — �Թϴ�Ӫ's Grand Challenge Initiative

Author(s)

Theresa Ahrens

Feature •

In the Community •

September 26, 2017

The University has announced an exciting step for �Թϴ�Ӫ’s IMPACT 2025 working group on��. For the past year the group has been engaged in a deliberative process to identify a theme for the��Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges initiative.��After hearing from more than 300 faculty to learn about community involvement in their research, teaching, creative work and service, the working group asked students, faculty, staff and community members to share their ideas for issues that �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges should address.

Thanks to all of the input and efforts, the group has identified the theme for �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges as��Thriving Communities.����is scheduled for October 2.��

“The goal of �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges is to make measurable progress in addressing complex, urgent and persistent problems in our communities,” said Anne DePrince, Co-Leader of the Collaboration for the Public Good Working Group. “This theme presents a variety of opportunities to work together in our communities.”��

Thriving Communities��will address three issues: Living, Working, and Participating. Each of these issues will be addressed in 3-year cycles that allow us to co-create Aspirations, Actions, and measurements of Achievement with community partners.

The Living, Working, and Participating issues were selected because they are directly related to ongoing faculty research, creative work and teaching from all units across campus.

Undergraduate Student Body President Morgan Smith says he’s excited to get students involved.

�Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges is a time for us as a community to create a collective impact. It’s not just one student organization trying to champion an issue, but our entire community of faculty, staff, students and local organizations. Students get to be a part of determining �Թϴ�Ӫ’s agenda for the years to come. Any student on our campus that is questioning how they can be involved in making an impact in our community has to get involved in �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges! Morgan Smith, Undergraduate Student Body President

The �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges kickoff event is scheduled for October 2nd��from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on �Թϴ�Ӫ’s campus in the Anderson Academic Commons Special Events Room. Involvement from faculty, staff, students and community members is vital to the success of this initiative. The event will provide opportunities to learn about next steps for �Թϴ�Ӫ Grand Challenges as well as to share your ideas that address the first issue,��Living.��Register for the kickoff event��

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