The University of Southern Indiana’s Outreach and Engagement will host a “Celebration of Engagement†beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in Carter Hall in the University Center West. The free and open to the public event is part of the University’s year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary.
The program, which highlights the University’s rich history of community engagement, will include talks by USI President Linda L. M. Bennett and Mark Bernhard, associate provost for Outreach and Engagement, and a history of Outreach and Engagement presented by Ed Jones, vice provost emeritus of Outreach and Engagement. A pre-recorded message from Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann also will be part of the program.
The event will include an Engagement Fair with more than 21 booths representing each of the four colleges at USI as well as a variety of departments and community partners. A series of tours highlighting key areas of the University will be provided from 4 to 5 p.m., including each of the four colleges as well as the Rice Library and University Archives, and the Applied Engineering Center. A reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. with opportunities for networking.
Bernhard said the “Celebration of Innovation†is an opportunity to showcase a new model for Outreach and Engagement—the result of a multi-year restructuring of the department which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. “We’ve identified our core purpose as ‘Unleashing Potential and Expanding Knowledge,’†said Bernhard. “When looking at the different units within Outreach and Engagement, it made sense to look at how we could be structured in such a way that would focus on several overarching areas. Those areas include Community Engagement, Opportunity Development, Lifelong Learning and Distance Learning.†Some of the many programs offered in the four key areas of Outreach and Engagement include:
Community Engagement
· Historic Southern Indiana
· Service Learning
· Historic New Harmony
· Connect with Southern Indiana
Opportunity Development
· Resource Development
· Crane Partnership
· Innovation Pointe
· I-69 Innovation Corridor
· Applied Research
· Technology Commercialization
Lifelong Learning
· Southern Indiana Japanese School
· Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
· Veteran, Military and Family Resource Center (VMFR)
· Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)
· Dual Credit
· Corporate Training Partnerships
· Continuing and Professional Education (CPE)
Distance Learning
· Online Training Consultation
· eLearning Module Development
· Online Webinar, Presentation and Live Meet
· Professional Development and Online Programs
Those interested in the free event can register at USI.edu/cared. For more information about the event, contact Outreach and Engagement at 812-228-5098.
