Centering Engagement, Driving Impact
OERD is committed to the future of a NIU as an engaged university. Guided by community engagement best practices and principles, our 2025-2028 Action Plan for Centering Engagement, Driving Impact is inclusive and collaborative. In partnership with our colleagues and partners across the university, students, and the community, NIU will continue its role as a national leader in community engagement.
2025-2028 Centering Engagement, Driving Impact 3-Year Action Plan
AY2025-2026
- Achieve reclassification as a Carnegie Engaged Institution.
- Publish Community Engagement Impact Report.
- Host NIU Engagement Exemplars Summit.
- Map the NIU Community Engagement Ecosystem.
- Support the growth and expansion of CE courses.
- Expand Engagement Roundtable to ensure institutional inclusiveness.
AY2026-2027
- Establish Community Partner Advisory Council.
- Establish Student Engagement Council.
- Identify student leadership development pathways.
- Develop centralized communications strategy for students.
- Create student community engagement mentor/fellow program.
- Introduce Community Engagement Awards.
- Establish funded college-based Community Engagement Fellows.
- Institutional community engagement database and partnership map are fully functional and well utilized.
- Implement 2-year Community Engagement communications strategy.
AY2026-2027
- Community engagement is a central element of NIU’s institutional brand.
- NIU wins national award(s) for community engagement impact.
- Endowment is in place to support community engagement work.
- Establish Community Engagement Graduate Assistantship Program.
- Demonstrate impact of community engaged courses for faculty, students and community partners.
2025 Engagement Update
Finishing up FY2025, the Engagement Roundtable continued to meet monthly, furthering the community engaged initiatives launched in the last 3 years. Thanks to the effort of the Carnegie Action Team, OERD completed a comprehensive community engagement self study to be reclassified as a Community Engaged Institution. We submitted our application to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching on March 17, 2025.
2024 Engagement Update
The Engagement Roundtable (ERT) met monthly throughout FY2024 to advance the goals of the Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Task Force. Throughout fall 2023 and spring 2024, the ERT continued to plan and support community-engaged professional development for faculty and staff, provided feedback about important initiatives such as community engaged course designation; promotion and tenure policy changes to include community engaged scholarship; and community engaged research projects.
The Carnegie Action Team, comprised of staff from OERD and the ERT, met throughout spring 2024 to gather evidence for NIU's application to reclassifiy as a Carnegie Community Engaged Institution.
2023 Engagement Update
NIU's Engagement Task Force met throughout 2022 and 2023 and engaged in a series of discussions around key topics. The Task Force informed instutional goals for guiding the development of the Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Action Plan for 2023-2026. Read more about the Task Force and the institutional goals for Centering Engagement, Driving Impact in the Task Force Report (PDF).
In fall 2023, the Engagement Roundtable was created to implement the Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Action Plan. Learn about the Engagement Roundtable goals and its membership.
NIU Definition of Community Engagement
At Northern Illinois University, we believe community engagement...
- facilitates collaboration, in which all partners contribute, and all partners benefit.
- unites the expertise and resources of the university and community.
- allow partners to pursue a shared vision for public good.
- enriches scholarship, research and artistry.
- enhances teaching and learning.
- addresses critical societal issues.
- strengthens democratic values.
We invite you to contact us at oerd@niu.edu to learn more about engagement at NIU.