Celebrate, Commemorate and Collaborate
USI has a rich history of community collaboration and long-standing relationships, and at the heart of many of these is Outreach and Engagement. The second annual Celebration of Engagement invites USI faculty and staff to reminisce about the bonds that have been forged between our University and the surrounding community, as well as looking ahead to the future and building new mutually beneficial relationships that spark creativity, innovation and opportunity.
The celebration runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 and meets in the Fireside Lounge in University Center East with an opening welcome from President Linda L. M. Bennett. Dr. Mark Bernhard, associate provost for Outreach and Engagement, will highlight specific areas of growth and the future for Outreach and Engagement.
Keynote speaker, Linda E. White, president and CEO of Deaconess Health Systems, will talk about the close connection Deaconess has established with USI and the importance of community outreach. USI has been home to regular health conferences, as well as offering courses meeting the criteria for medical professions to obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) required for their job.
The M. Edward Jones Engagement Award also will be awarded at the event. The award is given to an individual, group or project for excellence in leadership, commitment to quality, tireless service and dedication to lifelong learning in fulfilling the outreach mission of USI. Stop by to see who this year's winner is.
Following the award ceremony, guests will be taken to the second floor lobby of the USI Performance Center to enjoy refreshments and learn more about how Outreach and Engagement can help you make the right connections during an interactive engagement fair. Afterwards, a reception will be held with numerous networking opportunities with Distance Learning, Community Engagement, Opportunity Development, Lifelong Learning and specific programs within those departments.
"USI is not just for ages 18 to 22," said Ashley Watson, marketing coordinator in Outreach and Engagement. "People in the community can tap into many resources the University offers." Programs in Outreach and Engagement have initiated early learning opportunities with Summer Enrichment Camps and fun weeklong courses for elementary school children. They've impacted local schools with dual credit courses offered through the College Achievement Program (CAP). They've remained devoted to the goal of lifelong learning, offering noncredit courses in an array of subjects and providing professional development courses to individuals in numerous career fields. The Center for Applied Research has connected businesses and organizations with USI faculty and staff experts whose research has benefited new startups, as well as multinational corporations.
"It's important to take the time each year to showcase our history as an engaged University and to highlight the successful work we have accomplished in partnership with the community," said Dr. Mark Bernhard, associate provost for Outreach and Engagement.
Join in the celebration, enjoy some refreshments and find out what Outreach and Engagement has to offer you. The event is free and open to the public and all University faculty, staff and students. Register online for the event. For more information contact Stephanie El Tawil at sjeltawil@usi.edu or 812-461-5442.