1. automotive and vehicles
2. vehicle brands
3. honda

ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT UNIT REVIEW
SELF-STUDY REPORT SUBMISSION COVER SHEET
Cycle Year 2007-2008
⌧ Departmental/Unit Report
The attached report is a:
University Function Report
Department/Function Name:
Submission Date:
Office of Civic Engagement
Dept./Function Head’s Name:
Lovell Lemons, Director
9/28/07 - Outline
11/08/07 - Draft
12/21/07 - Final Report
Phone:
404-413-1553
Self-Study Report Primary Writer/Editor
Self-Study Report Team Members
Lovell Lemons
Lovell Lemons
Alysia Brown
Robert Hartley
Division or College:
Division of Student Affairs
Dept./Function Head’s Supervisor
Name: Dr. Douglas Covey
Title: VP of Student Affairs
Number of Employees in Department/
Function: 2
Number of Subunits in Department: 0
List of Appendices
Appendix I- Organizational Chart
Appendix II- Program Fliers
Appendix III - Surveys/ Evaluations and Res
Appendix IV - Services and Programs
Appendix V- OCE Advised Student
Organizations
Appendix VI- Reflections Training
Appendix VII- Annual Reports
Appendix VIII- Performance Evaluation
Template
Appendix IX - Employee Attitude Survey
Appendix X- Budget Reports
Peer Institutions Used for Comparisons
*Georgia Institute of Technology
*James Madison University
*Northeastern University
*New York University
Office of Civic Engagement
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The Office of Civic Engagement
Administrative and Support Review Self- Study
I.
Structure, Mission and Functional Responsibilities
A. 1. What is the unit’s organizational structure? To whom does the unit report?
The Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) consists of two professional staff. The unit has
a Director and Administrative Coordinator. The office is also supported by three (3)
Graduate Assistants, two (2) work study students and a Student Assistant. The Director
reports to the Vice President of the Division of Student Affairs.
(See Appendix I: Organizational Chart)
2. What is the mission of the unit (and its subunits, if applicable?)
The Office of Civic Engagement promotes and encourages opportunities for
community service and civic engagement that enhance student learning and advance
community development while responding to societal issues and concerns. The Office
of Civic Engagement provides assistance to students, student groups, faculty, staff and
community based organizations with regards to volunteerism, community service and
service-learning in addition to serving as a clearinghouse/think-tank for community
outreach programs in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
3. Explain how the department’s mission supports the present missions and
strategic plans of the division and the university.
The Office of Civic Engagement supports the following mission, goals and strategic
plans of the division and the university:
• 2005 – 2010 University Strategic Plan, page 15: by providing curricular and
co-curricular activities that prepare students to be critical thinkers, creative problem
solvers, and responsible citizens who make ethical choices.
(See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwact/pdf_plan_archive/2005_strategicplan.pdf)
•
Division of Student Affairs Blueprint for Action: to develop students into leaders,
life-long learners, responsible citizens, and active participants in a multicultural
society, while engaging them with meaningful experiences; increasing student
satisfaction with Georgia State University; and strengthening assessment, planning,
implementation and evaluation of university services to students.
(See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdss/plan.html)
4. How is the mission communicated to unit staff and constituents?
The mission of the Office of Civic Engagement is communicated to staff during our
regularly scheduled staff meetings where emphasis is placed on programming and
advisement and how they contribute to the overall mission of the unit. The mission is
communicated
to
constituents
primarily
through
the
OCE
website
(www.gsu.edu/service) where customers can access the departmental newsletter as well
Office of Civic Engagement
Page 2
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as other documents regarding our services and programs. The unit utilizes Division of
Students Affairs and university publications such as the University Catalog and the On
Campus Student Handbook as a method of communicating to students, faculty and
staff. The unit also utilizes Facebook.com, word of mouth, volunteer involvement in a
wide range of activities, and outreach to GSU 1010/ FLC classes as well as various
academic departments (e.g. Sociology, Social Work and Psychology).
B. List the functional responsibilities of the unit. Note which of these are core
functions. Is the structure of the unit appropriate to meeting the unit’s functional
responsibilities?
The five functional responsibilities of the Office of Civic Engagement are (all core):
• Academic Support - opportunities for community service and/or service-learning are
shared with students and faculty seeking to infuse service into their collegiate
experience or curriculum.
• Individual Student Advisement/Support - primarily consists of one on one
consultation with students regarding community service and civic engagement.
• Student Organization Advisement/Support - organizational advisement (e.g.
leadership, programmatic logistics, fiscal, and collaboration matters) to chartered
student organizations and service based student organizations advised by OCE.
• Program Development - the development and facilitation of community service
based workshops, events, and activities directly related to the mission of the OCE.
• Community Partnerships- identifying and establishing community partners in order
to connect students and student organizations to the greater Atlanta community for
meaningful community service and service learning opportunities.
II.
Services or Products Provided
A. What services/products does the unit provide?
Office of Civic Engagement provides the following services:
• Academic Support – community service and service-learning support for faculty
seeking to infuse service into their classes, volunteer, community service and
service-learning opportunities for students seeking to fulfill an academic
requirement.
• Individual Student Advisement/Support – staff are available to meet with students
who visit the office looking for service opportunities, referrals from other units as
well as telephone consultation.
• Student Organization Advisement/Support – leadership development, organization
advisement, office space, computer, telephone fax and copier access, and service
project development and coordination.
• Program Development – Federal Work Study Program, Alternative Spring Break,
Project Empty Bowls and Freshmen Community Plunge are all examples of
programs were students can learn more about critical social issues while serving
others.
Office of Civic Engagement
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•
Community Partnerships- Assist our community partners in recruiting Georgia
State students by advertising and promoting volunteer service opportunities. OCE
supports faculty seeking to infuse service-learning into their curriculum. Facilitate
and coordinate communications with the appropriate offices/departments within
Georgia State for collaborative programming.
(Appendix II: Program Flyers)
B. 1. Who are the unit’s customers? Consider also secondary customers and those
supported by your products or services such as faculty, department heads, and
administrators.
The OCE’s primary customers are the undergraduate and graduate student population,
faculty, university colleges, departments, community based non-profits and the student
organizations OCE advises Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Campus Civitan, Circle K
International, Colleges for Cancer, Habitat for Humanity, Hands on Atlanta, Panther
Break Away and Tree House Fellows. Secondary customers include: staff, programs
(e.g. Atlanta Based Learning, Project Grad Atlanta, Communities In Schools and
Georgia Commission on Service and Volunteerism) as well as university wide
committees that rely on OCE expertise. (e.g. Welcome Week, Presidents Award, Torch
of Peace Awards)
2. How does the unit learn about the customers’ needs and obtain ongoing
feedback regarding products and service delivery?
The OCE staff learns about the student customer needs and obtains constant feedback
regarding programs and service delivery via questionnaires/surveys distributed during
programs and service projects. The unit also conducts an annual customer satisfaction
survey polling work study students and community partners for general feedback on the
quality of services and programs. Reflection Sessions are conducted following service
projects which provide additional feedback. We have not been surveying faculty, staff
or community partners regarding our customer service, programs or services.
(See Appendix III-Surveys/Evaluations)
3. From your customers’ perspective, how well does your unit understand and
meet their needs? In this section discuss pertinent results from your customer
feedback.
The office gauges customer perspective regarding the quality of services provided to
our customers through the use of surveys. Survey result demonstrated that customers
are pleased with the level/quality of services and programs offered by our office. We do
not currently survey faculty and staff but are exploring methods to implement this
aspect this year.
4. How does the unit make potential customers aware of available services and
products?
Office of Civic Engagement
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OCE makes potential customers aware of what the unit offers primarily through the
OCE website and the Division of Student Affairs web based calendar, Pouncin’ Around
as well as university based media (e.g. Signal, The Village, WRAS 88.5 Campus
Radio.) Presentations to classes, student organizations, faculty, departments and
community based organizations are our secondary vehicle for promoting the services
provided by the OCE. Division of Student Affairs resources such as the University
Catalog, the On Campus Student Handbook and display cases throughout campus are
other ways in which we promote our services and programs. The unit also utilizes
Facebook.com, emails and GroupWise announcements. Students who visit the office
are given handouts about the unit’s services. Potential Customers are also made aware
of OCE services through staff outreach, graduate assistants, student assistants, and
volunteers, student organizations and departments with whom we collaborate with.
(See Appendix IV: (Services and Programs Documents)
5. Are there services or products that clients need or request which the unit cannot
provide? If so, please describe those services or products and discuss the feasibility
of providing them.
• Additional funding to support community outreach initiatives.
Feasibility: The availability of additional funding would allow OCE to better serve the
needs of students and student organizations seeking to engage in service. Certain
expenditures are cut back (e.g. ads in Signal, number of newsletters, promotional items)
due to limited funding. Student Fee allocation has served as the primary sources of
funding.
• Student requests for office space.
Feasibility: With additional office space, student organizations advised by OCE will be
able to better plan, recruit and engage in service to the community.
• Student requests for transportation.
Feasibility: Due to a limited number of vans and high demand many times
transportation is not available. Increasing the SLL van pool will better serve the entire
student body.
• Students request to save important documents.
Feasibility: Due to server space issues student organizations are unable to save
important documents on the University server which need to be archived for future use.
Having a dedicated server for the division will better serve all students and
departments.
• Student request for additional staff support.
Feasibility: Given the number of student organizations advised and limited OCE staff,
students request for advisor’s attendance at meeting and/or programs and community
partners request for staff to attend meetings often times can not be fulfilled.
C. 1. How are services prioritized and scheduled, and by whom?
Services are prioritized and scheduled by the Director and Administrative Coordinator,
in consultation with the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Office of Civic Engagement
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2. Do any laws, regulations, or other requirements external to the university
impact the provision of services/products? If so, please identify.
The Federal Work Study Program is mandated by the federal government to allocate
7% of the total work study allocation to FWS positions for community service which
equates to 40 to 50 students yearly. This requires the identification and development
of partnerships with non-profit status and community based agencies to meet the
Federal mandate. We currently work with fifteen external agencies and five campus
based programs to meet this Federal requirement.
3. How does the unit make its customers aware of its priorities, policies, and
procedures (how the unit operates)?
OCE makes its customers aware of its priorities, policies, and procedures by:
• The Office of Civic Engagement website (www.gsu.edu/service)
• Providing literature that lists the unit’s services.
• Departmental newsletter
• OCE makes presentations to classes, student organizations, faculty and community
based organizations.
• OCE Student Advisory Committee- the advisory meets monthly to ensure that
Georgia State University policy and procedures are being followed by the student
organizations that are housed in OCE and that they collaborate with each other
during the year to prevent calendar event clashes and pool resources.
(See Appendix V: OCE Advised Student Organizations)
III.
Unit Outcomes and Accomplishments
A. 1. What are the unit’s current Intended Outcomes?
• Academic Support and Individual Advisement Function:
Intended Outcome #1: Students will be able to identify two or more ways in which their
personal qualities can contribute to community building due to their participation in the
service projects and programs. (SLO/ IEP)
Intended Outcome #2: Students will be able to identify and explain the significance of
at least one social and community concern in the Atlanta area after participating in a
Georgia State University outreach initiative. (SLO/IEP)
Intended Outcome #3: Engaging twenty percent of the student body in community
service projects. (IEP)
• Community Partnership
Intended Outcome # 4: OCE will develop partnerships that have a positive impact on
the community. (SLO/IEP)
2. Explain how they relate to the defined mission and functional responsibilities
of the unit. Do current Intended Outcomes cover all of the unit’s core functional
responsibilities? If not, please explain.
Office of Civic Engagement
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OCE intended outcomes integrate education and service in order to support the Georgia
State University mission of being a premier research university that is fully engaged in
its urban Atlanta environment. The current intended outcomes covers OCE’s defined
mission with respect to student learning and partnership development however core
functional responsibilities such as Student Organization advisement and program
development are not addressed. OCE intended outcomes will expand in the coming
year to include areas not currently addressed. The effectiveness of community
partnerships are currently assessed according to the OCE Institutional Effectiveness
Plan, and OCE determines an agency’s effectiveness based on students achieving
OCE’s service and learning outcomes and the positive connection between agency and
the university to improve our greater Atlanta community. OCE has faced some
challenges sustaining community partners as a result of certain university policies and
procedures. Some facilities policies can be overly restrictive on occasions when the
university has an opportunity to extend partnership to nonprofit organizations serving
the Atlanta community. If our office wants to bring a service organization on campus
in order to inform students and further their mission, the cost of facilities has tended to
be inflexible for accommodating nonprofits as partners inconsistent with our
university’s mission to establish positive community partners.
3. How were these Intended Outcomes developed and how were they
communicated to staff and constituents?
The intended outcomes were developed in consultation with the Division of Student
Affairs Assessment Consultant Keeling and Associates over time as a result of both
feedback and requests from students, faculty, and community-based agencies. Intended
outcomes are communicated internally in staff meetings, and they are communicated
externally by our website, brochures, print media, OCE office visits, and reflection
surveys.
B. 1. What indicators does the unit use to measure its performance on intended
outcomes?
The following indicators are used to determine and measure performance relative to
intended outcomes:
Indicator #1: If at least 75% of the students are able to identify two or more ways in
which their personal qualities can contribute to community building due to their
participation in a service projects and programs, we consider our efforts successful.
Indicator #2: If at least 70% of the students are able to identify and explain the
significance of at least one social and community concern related to their work-study
participation, we will have been successful.
Indicator #3: If at least 20% of the student body reports being engaged in community
service projects/volunteerism, we will have been successful.
Indicator #4: If at least 80% of established partnerships are maintained and continue to
be effective, we will consider our efforts to be successful.
Office of Civic Engagement
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2. Describe what actions the unit has taken to improve performance based upon
its analysis of the data collected on the effectiveness indicators. (Include any
current strategies, goals, and objectives developed to improve performance.)
The Office of Civic Engagement has improved upon the ways in which we collect data
from programs such as service projects and services provided by the office. We now
train student leaders to conduct Reflection Sessions within their own groups: Greek
community service chairs, Into the Streets project leaders, and ASB site leaders. An
OCE graduate assistant facilitates the Reflection Sessions for our work-study students.
We encouraged project sites to include an orientation and conduct Reflection Sessions
as part of all service projects, as well.
OCE meets with advisors of the various student organizations and Greek organizations
so that we can familiarize them with OCE and Volunteer Solutions. Utilizing
Volunteer Solutions has assisted departments and their students in readily identifying
service projects and logging their service hours. We plan to further our relationship
with the athletics department and train more student leaders to conduct Reflection
Sessions after they complete a service project. (Appendix VI- Reflections Training)
4. What are the unit’s most notable accomplishment for the past three years?
•
OCE continues to build on our Alternative Spring Break Panther Breakaway
program. ASB student leaders attended a national training conference sponsored by
Break Away, the national alternative break organization, which equipped the
students with the skills needed to effectively coordinate and carry out three
successful ASB alternative spring break trips that involved 52 students and 7 staff
traveling to Clearwater, Florida; St. Louis, MO; and New Orleans, LA during the
2007 Spring Break.
•
The Office of Community Service partnered with the J. Mack Robinson College of
Business, Student Life & Leadership, as well as, the Georgia Servant Leadership
Alliance to host and sponsor the 2005 Servant Leadership Conference. The featured
speaker was Richard Boyatzis, co-author of Primal Leadership: Realizing the
Power of Emotional Intelligence. The conference attendees included not only
students and faculty from Georgia State, but also students from other state colleges
and universities as well.
•
The Office of Civic Engagement collaborated with President Patton to establish an
annual President’s Awards for Community Service and Social Action. The goals of
the awards are to encourage and recognize meaningful commitment to serve others
by students, faculty and staff. President Patton recognizes a student, student
organization, faculty member, university outreach program, and community partner
for each one’s outstanding work in the Atlanta community.
•
The Office of Civic Engagement sponsored the Empty Bowls Project along with the
Offices of Student Life and Leadership and International Affairs. Empty Bowls is a
hunger and homelessness awareness dinner in conjunction with the Martin Luther
King Jr. holiday celebration on campus. The fundraiser serves guests a simple meal
Office of Civic Engagement
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of soup and bread in ceramic bowls created by Georgia State students. The bowls
are also gifts for the guests to keep in remembrance of hunger in the world. The
office partners with student organizations, community organizations, faculty, and
staff – with special help from Samaritan House and Kathy King from the Arts
department – in a collaboration to make this project successful. The Empty Bowls
Project made over $500 dollars profit which was donated to the Atlanta Community
Food Bank. This has become an annual program sponsored by OCE and SLL.
•
The Office of Civic Engagement partnered with Campus Community Outreach and
Books for Africa to sponsor two book drives collecting used textbooks from
Georgia State students to send to Africa. Over 2,600 books were collected and
donated to the cause during the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters. Student
organizations that partnered with the Office of Civic Engagement included Circle
K, Campus Civitan, and Golden Key Honor Society.
• The Office of Civic Engagement partnered with the Georgia State Athletic
Department and the American Red Cross to sponsor the largest ever one-day Blood
Drive in the state of Georgia collecting more than 386 pints of blood. As part of the
Colonial Athletic Association Conference Challenge, the Georgia State community
came together to show our commitment to serving our community.
(See Appendix VII- Annual Reports)
IV. Organization and Climate
A. 1. For any service/ products provided by the unit in conjunction with other
units within the university, please describe the relationships.
The Office of Civic Engagement has an excellent working relationship with Financial
Aid, Student Accounts, Human Resources and every unit that provides support to the
community service component of the Federal Work Study Program.
2. How is the work coordinated between or among units?
The Community Service component of the Federal Work Study Program is coordinated
by the Office of Civic Engagement. Working with the Office of Financial Aid (OFA)
OCE places FWS students in community service assignments with elementary schools,
after school programs and other non-profit organizations. OFA certifies and awards
student’s work study. OCE coordinates and oversees the hiring process and in
conjunction with Student Accounts and the Office of Human Resources. OCE generates
a report of student’s earning for the U.S. Department of Education at the end of the
year.
3. How can such relations be facilitated?
•
•
Bi-annual interdepartmental meeting which helps to created a shared mission and
vision as well as creates formalized network opportunities.
Designated annual opportunities to reflect on the process will give the collaborative
units’ consistent and continual reasoning to work together.
Office of Civic Engagement
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•
Individual/staff reaching out to improve and/or establish even better working
relationships across units.
B. Are duplicated or parallel services offered within the unit or elsewhere in the
university?
There are no duplicate or parallel services offered elsewhere in the university.
Although, there are other areas within the university that engage students in community
service none have the primary mission of providing community outreach coordination
for students, student organizations, faculty, staff or community based organizations.
C. 1. What are the unit’s (1) planning, (2) decision-making, and (3) individuals
and (4) unit performance evaluation processes?
The unit’s planning and decision-making are based on student needs, the University
strategic plan, the VP of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, and OCE staff priorities.
Individual evaluations are based on a university wide procedure and occur annually.
While annual unit evaluations are based on success indicators as measured in the unit’s
SLO’s and IEP’s.
2. Who is involved in each?
The Vice President of Student Affairs, the Director, and the staff are involved in each
stage of the major decision making process.
3. How does the reward structure within the unit (including recognition,
promotion, and merit salary increases) support unit performance?
The reward structure within the unit supports career progression based on student and
institutional needs. Merit increases are given to staff exceeding expectations in
performance. (Appendix VIII- Performance Evaluation Template)
D.1. How are individual and unit work responsibilities and expectations
determined?
Individual and unit work responsibilities and expectations are determined by several
factors including: job descriptions, departmental priorities, Director and staff initiatives,
performance evaluation criterion, student, community, and constituents’ interests and
co-sponsorship requests.
2. How are they communicated to the employees of the department?
Office of Civic Engagement
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This information is communicated to the staff via job descriptions, supervisor one to
one meetings, intra and inter-departmental electronic mail, staff meetings, Dean’s
meetings, and retreats.
E. 1. Please describe the general morale, attitude, and culture of the Unit.
As evidenced by the employee survey, the general morale and attitude within OCE is
positive; all staff members believe strongly in the development and provision of
student-centered services that also meet institutional needs. OCE staff members
genuinely enjoy working with each other and believe that teamwork, open
communication, and shared vision are keys to success. There are only two (2) areas in
the employee survey where the unit mean was lower than the university mean. Those
areas were “I clearly understand what is expected of me in a typical work day” and “It
is important that I do my job well.” These answers can be explained by recognizing that
the university has policies that are counter productive to establishing and maintaining
effective community partnerships. Some facilities policies can be overly restrictive on
occasions when the university has an opportunity to extend or strengthen partnerships
to nonprofit organizations serving the Atlanta community. If our office wants to bring
a service organization on campus in order to inform students and further their mission,
the cost of facilities has tended to be inflexible for accommodating nonprofits as
partners with our university’s mission to serve the Atlanta community.
(See Appendix IX: Employee Attitude Survey Results)
V. Resources
OCE
A. 1. Provide a budget allocation and expenditure summary for the past three
fiscal years, using the template provides below.
Current YR
FY2007
FY2006
FY 2005
Personal
Svcs.
Budgeted
$
101,689.00
Budgeted
$
112,173.00
Travel
$
Oper.
Supplies
$
22,741.00
$
25,249.00
$
31,794.69
Equip.
$
1,800.00
$
1,800.00
$
Total
$
126,230.00
$
139,222.00
$
152,630.57
-
$
-
Expended
$
112,273.00
Budgeted
$
107,328.00
Expended
$
107,328.00
Budgeted
$
114,154.00
$
$
1,765.80
$
26,490.00
$
12,317.48
$
29,550.71
$
$
22,753.00
$
2,360.00
$
24,137.31
$
1,800.00
$
1,800.00
$
1,800.00
$
1,800.00
$
137,383.80
$
150,996.19
$
138,707.00
$
142,451.41
6,762.88
1,800.00
Expended
$
114,154.10
-
The OCE receives funding from a multitude of sources. The above reflects expended
monies as well as budget forecast from the SAVOL and AGVOL sources in addition to
Office of Civic Engagement
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fund 10 and end of year monies. The OCE also relies on donations to achieve its
objectives. Please refer to Appendix X for a more detailed accounting of expenditure
and donations.
2. Indicate how resources are spent on each of the core functional activities
identified in Section I.B.
Activity based budgeting encompassing core areas of academic support, program
development, student organization support and advisement, and individual advisement,
establishes priorities and parameters of spending.
Dollar
Amount
Academic
$
8,161.93
Individual
$
5,289.63
Student
$
Organizations 49,570.17
Program
Community
Total
FY2007
Percent
$
79,399.86
$
10,208.98
$
152,630.57
FY2006_
Dollar Amount
Percent
5%
$
6,071.91
3%
$
5,967.68
33%
$
46,420.06
52%
$
83,530.92
7% $
9,005.62
$
150,996.19
FY 2005
Dollar Amount
Percent
4%
$
6,595.24
4% $
5,246.78
31% $
44,784.47
55%
$
76,240.79
6% $
9,584.13
$
142,451.41
3. To what extent does the budget allocation and its utilization allow unit outcomes
to be realized?
There are four kinds of funds which OCE receives: First, there are Fund Code 10 that
are utilized for operational expenses to finance personnel, administrative costs, some
supplies and equipment, Graduate Assistants, and staff development. The Director
consults with the Vice President for Student Affairs to receive approval for Fund Code
10 resources. Restrictions on this source of funds include food and promotional items.
Second, are Student Activity Fee funds, which support OCE five (5) functional
categories. The third source of funding is donations from companies, organizations and
students paying for ASB trips they participate in. These funds are managed through an
Agency account. The fourth source of funding is one-time funds from the Dean of
Students and Vice president for Student Affairs which are awarded based on a
competitive proposal process and used for the development of pilot projects or
expansion of initiatives.
The four sources of funding for OCE have allowed the unit to accomplish intended
outcomes although additional funding would facilitate significant increase in the
current level of student involvement in service initiatives.
Office of Civic Engagement
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5%
3%
31%
54%
7%
4. What is the decision-making process for the distribution of budget
allocations within the unit?
The Director assesses priorities based on the following factors: success of previous
year’s programs; determination of student interest, needs, and input. High priority is
also given to the Division of Student Affairs Blueprint for Action, the university
strategic plan, OCE Director, and staff input. Decisions are also based on funding
priorities within the Core Categories.
B. 1. Describe the staff complement for the unit (and subunits, if appropriate).
The unit is lead by the Director who is the department head and primarily responsible
for the supervision of the staff and unit operations and an Administrative Coordinator
who manages the office. OCE has two Graduate Assistants who provide support in
unit’s in core responsibility areas and two work study student who assist with general
office duties.
2. To what extent does the staff allocation and deployment allow the unit’s
outcomes to be realized?
The unit is lead by the Director who is the department head and primarily responsible
for the supervision of the staff and unit operations. The Administrative Coordinator
manages daily operations and supervises work study and student assistant positions.
The graduate assistants of OCE are supervised by the Director. Current staffing makes
it challenging to adequately deliver quality programming and services and realize unit
outcomes. The current structure supports the functional responsibilities of the unit
however as the student population grows, additional staffing will be needed.
3. How does the unit backup critical staff functions?
OCE ensures the delivery of critical functions through making sure the Director or
Administrative Coordinator provides office coverage at all times. OCE engages in
cross-training and communication with paraprofessional staff to address the limited
staffing. Vacation requests are made and approved in a coordinated manner in order to
ensure that essential core functions may be accomplished in the absence of the primary
staff member.
4. Do employee skills match the unit’s foreseeable needs (How is the need for skills
determined? How is training and cross-training provided? How is the acquisition
of the new skills and knowledge encouraged? )
Employee skills adequately match the office’s current needs relative to outreach and
planning of programs and events. New employees receive an office orientation where
they are trained on critical staff functions. Federal Work Study students, student
assistants and Graduate Assistants are cross-trained frequently as staff members backup
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each other during absences and collaborate on projects. The staff is however
encouraged to attend conferences, workshops and take continuing education courses to
develop new skills to improve upon existing programs and services.
Alternative Spring Break training is also provided for students to build on their skills
sets in order to coordinate and improve the Alternative Spring Break program.
C. 1. What is the space, facilities and technology allocation (describe the quantity
and quality)?
The OCE has been housed in the Student Center, Suite 320 since 2003. At the
entrance is a reception area with seating for two guests with a reception desk staffed by
at least one Student Assistant who is supervised by the full-time senior administrative
coordinator who sits directly behind the student assistant. Across from the front desk is
a cubicle for student organizations advised by the office. To the left of the front desk
are the Graduate Assistant office and the Director’s office. The fax machine is located
in the director’s office. To the left of the reception area are two work tables for student
use as well as five Dell computer workstations and five student organizations cubicles.
Both full-time staff has printers in addition to computers and telephones with
voicemail. The student assistant workstation and the print station are connected to
network printers located next to the front desk workstation. Our
programmatic/functional agenda is constrained by the current space allocation. The
greatest need is for student workroom and lounge to encourage greater collaboration.
2. To what extent does the allocation and its utilization allow unit outcomes to be
realized?
In 2003 the unit moved to a new space which met our needs at that time (e.g. computer
workstations, student organization cubicles and GRA room). Due to growth in
programs and the number of students served and student organizations advised, all
assigned space is being utilized and now there is need for additional space to include
additional office space for a Student Advisor I or II staff person. If the proposed 20082009 Student Fee is approved by the Regents in April 2008 the unit will receive an
additional professional staff position starting July 2008.
VI. Peer Comparisons
A. Please provide data to indicate how the unit compares with similar units at
peer institutions.
Georgia Institute of Technology, New York City University, Northeastern University
and James Madison University were selected as peer institutions that closely correlate
to Georgia State University in the following attributes: urban character, undergraduate
enrollment, unit structure, staff size, and general programming. These peer institutions
represent the University System of Georgia and the Urban 13, respectively.
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Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, GA
Institutional Profile: Public, University System of Georgia institution with 11,842
undergraduates in a city of 3.5 million people. The Office of Community Service
reports to the Dean of Students in the Division of Student Affairs, and its mission
statement is to promote civic responsibility and service-learning by encouraging student
involvement in meaningful and reciprocal service to the community. There is one fulltime community service staff, one full-time Jumpstart staff, no part-time staff or
graduate assistants, one half dedicated student assistant (which is not in the office
budget), and one office volunteer. The office’s internally funded operating budget is
$3,750, and including 2 salaries, the total budget is $41,190. The office manages
external funding for its student organizations comprising a total of $75,000. Office
serves 5,000 students annually. Student learning objectives are defined as: alternative
break participants will articulate three social issues affecting the area served; advised
group leaders will identify personal, professional, and organizational goals;
Engineering Students Without Borders participants will identify at least one
experiential connection to their academic majors; student service project leaders will
identify best practices for risk management. The office sets operational goals for
increasing the number of service-learning classes by 50%, reporting a high level of
satisfaction by community partners, and working with Development to increase service
funding by 50%. Office responsibilities include academic service-learning; community
service council; leadership and involvement; service abroad; student organizations;
community partners; and Jumpstart. The most recent Alternative Spring Break trip was
hurricane relief in Mobile, AL. International service trips are conducted by student
organizations: Engineering Students Without Borders, Foundation for International
Medical Relief for Children, and Unite for Sight. The office is working on a servicelearning study abroad in Ecuador for summer 2009, and they are expecting some ACC
funding to help this endeavor. Service trips use buses, vans, and airplanes, but the
office only provides transportation (rented buses) for its Alternative Spring Break.
Transportation is usually rented when Georgia Tech vans are unavailable; there is no
office van. Trips have ranged from New Orleans to New York with some
transportation for the Atlanta urban area, as well as international travel to Honduras and
Ecuador.
New York University; New York City, N.Y.
Institutional Profile: Public, Urban 13 school with 19,319 undergraduates, in a city of
8,214,426 people. The Center of Community Service reports to the Vice President for
Government and Community Affairs and its mission statement is to serve as a bridge
between students, faculty, and community partners in the development of service
opportunities and service learning courses. There are three (3) community service staff,
four (4) work study assistants. The office serves 4,000 students annually with an
operational budget of $430,000. NYU does not currently have an assessment tool in
place for measuring student involvement or community impact but is currently is
exploring Service Transcripts. International Programs are sponsored by the Office of
Global Education and do not fall under the control of office. The Center of Community
Service does offer international destinations including Jamaica and Mexico. Regarding
transportation, buses are provided on rare for conferences located on Ellis Islands,
Students are otherwise encouraged to provide their own transportation.
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Northeastern University
Institutional Profile: Public, Urban 13 institution with 26,314 undergraduates, in a
city of 1.6 million people. The Center for Community Engagement reports to the
Division of Public Affairs, and its mission statement is to provide students, staff,
faculty and alumni and community partners with a central place for posting and
receiving information, resources and referrals for community service and service
learning opportunities. There are three (3) full time community service staff, four (4)
part-time available as a result of grant funding , one (1) graduate assistant, 6 (six)
student assistants and two office volunteers. No informational was available regarding
budgeting. NEU services 1500 students annually through service learning and an
additional 2,500 through one day projects and programs. They do not currently
collect/focus on outcome data and currently only measure the number of students
involved in community service and outreach. NEU determines its community impact
by determining the economic value of service hours through a calculation of $16.00 per
service hour. Office responsibilities include academic service-learning and community
service council. International Programs include Dialogues with Civilization, a 3 to 4
week student abroad experience. NEU supplies transportation only for students
participating in their large scale service day projects held once a semester. Students are
provided one day bus passes for these events. They also transport ASB students to the
airport for departures; no other transportation is provided.
James Madison University
Institutional Profile: Public, is a Colonial Athletic Association university with 15,687
undergraduates, in a city of 40,000 people. The Office of Community Service Learning
reports to the Vice President for Student Success, and its mission statement is to form a
partnership joining JMU students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities by
identifying and coordinating intentional service opportunities to cultivate social
responsibility and life-long learning, thereby fostering a generation of leaders
committed to positive social change. There are 5 full-time community service staff, 1
part-time, 2 graduate assistants, 14 student assistants. JMU personnel and operational
budget is $700,000. CSL works closely with academic affairs/faulty to provide servicelearning experiences for more than 1500 students annually. Alternative Breaks has
developed a program that offers more than 12 trips to from the south, Midwest to the
west coast. International Programs now offers 5 trips to locations such as Jamaica,
Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. JMU only offers transportation
occasionally when sponsoring a major service
B. Analyze the differences and similarities between your operations and those of
your peer institutions (if applicable).
The primary mission of the Office of Civic Engagement’s operation and Georgia
Institute of Technology, New York University, Northeastern University and James
Madison University are to promote civic responsibility and service-learning by
encouraging student involvement in meaningful and reciprocal service to the
community. All of the programs serve as clearinghouses providing students with
opportunities to engage in community service, service learning and volunteer
experiences. All of the programs report to the Vice President in Student Affairs. All but
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two of the programs (NEU & JMU) have professional staff of one to two persons. All
but one program (JMU) serve 3500 to 5000 students annually. All of the schools offer
and feature an Alternative Spring Break program. Georgia States Office of Civic
Engagement (OCE) offers an elaborate on-line system, Volunteer Solutions, which all
allows students to access service opportunities on-line, log their community service
hours and reflect on-line regarding their service experience. OCE coordinates a well
established Federal Work Study Program for Community Service offering students
meaningful work study opportunities. One of the programs (JMU) receives strong
institutional support with a budget of $700,000 and two endowment funds. The same
program has a strong service-learning component working closely with academic
affairs to serve more than 1500 students. Two of the programs (GT & JMU) have been
able to expand their ASB program to offer students international experiences. Perhaps
the most important difference is two of the programs (JMU & NEU) have enough
professional staff to develop the kind of program that infuses service into the culture of
their institution.
VII.
Summary of Report and Strategic Directions
A. 1. Overall, what are the unit’s greatest strengths?
The OCE greatest strength is our knowledge of community based organizations,
contacts in the community and our ability to forage collaborative outreach initiatives
with units within the university and organizations within the community. Other OCE
attributes include the ability to provide programs and services that enrich student’s
college experience and assist students in developing desirable skill sets while
addressing a community need.
2. How can the unit leverage the strengths that already exist?
The unit can leverage its strengths of knowledge and connections within the Atlanta
community by collaborating even more with student organizations, faculty, staff,
departments, colleges and community based no-profits; by regularly reviewing our
organization structure and function to ensure we are meeting the needs of the students;
by continuing staff development to maintain the most up-to-date knowledge to continue
the level of expertise and strengths by remaining current.
3. Can the strengths be improved upon?
Yes. Limited staffing prevents our ability to expand existing programs such as
Alternative Spring Break and the Federal Work Study. With additional staff OCE can
engage more student leaders in planning ASB trip. Additional staff will allow OCE to
establish more community partner worksites for community services. In addition, we
can improve the success of existing programs by focusing on recruiting more diversity
of students who participate in service projects. OCE will target majority students who
numbers have declined.
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B. Describe any changes or modifications that would improve your unit’s
effectiveness. (Please include corrective activities as well quality or service
improvements).
We will continue to work on developing new and less cumbersome ways to gather and
report data. We are gradually engaging a wider range of diversity in our students and
student groups outreach projects. We will attempt to further our collaborative efforts
with other offices within the Division of Student Affairs and university-wide in order to
encourage civic engagement as a way to train student leaders, including Resident
Assistants and Inceptors. We will also make further adjustments to the work-study
Reflection Sessions so that students who are involved with the work-study program for
more than one year will gain even more from each session.
1. What, if any, changes are indicated in the unit’s current mission and functional
responsibilities (Section I)
There are no changes indicated in the unit’s current mission, but additional outcomes
within the unit need to be added to cover all core functions.
2. What, if any, changes are indicated in the services/ products provided to clients
by the unit? (Section II)
It is clear that the unit needs to seek additional and diversified funds to support students
outreach initiatives. Due to limited funding OCE has to limit Signal advertisements,
promotional items, the number of newsletters distributed and our co-sponsorship
efforts. Current funding restrictions prohibit students from financially supporting
causes they would like to support. Also, there are indications that there is a need for
expansion of permanent staff to focus on providing more support to student
organizations advised by the office as well as increase and strengthen OCE services and
programs. As the number of residential students increases greater demands are made on
the office to provide services. Increasing staffing and funding will assist OCE in
meeting the University’s service mission.
What, if any, changes are indicated in the unit’s intended outcomes and
effectiveness indicators? (Section III)
The current intended outcomes covers OCE’s defined mission with respect to student
learning and partnership development however core functional responsibilities should
include student organizations advisement and program development which are not
addressed. OCE intended outcomes will expand in the coming year to include areas not
currently addressed. Another change will be in the Unit’s intended outcome and
effectiveness indicators to insure that the language of each SLO and IEP is consistent
with the unit’s mission. As the department grows and has recently changed its name
from Community Service to Civic Engagement, the intended outcomes may expand to
include faculty and staff involvement as well as an expanded sense of service as
engagement.
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4. What, if any changes are indicated in the unit’s organizational structure,
processes, and climate?
There are no changes indicated in the climate of the unit; the organizational structure
generally reflects the present needs of the unit.
5. What, if any changes are indicated in the unit’s resources (budget, space,
staffing, technology, etc.)? (Section V)
The areas that indicate a need for change include:
Budget – permanent source of funding
Space – increased space for student organization and additional permanent staff
Staff – as demands on the office increases additional staff is needed
Technology – improve technology capabilities by adding a server
Transportation – dedicated vans for community outreach
Prioritized Recommendation(s)
Measures of Progress
One-year goals
1. Adding permanent staff
2. Getting additional space
3. Obtaining additional funding
Measures of Progress
Additional staff being added by 2009
Additional space obtained by 2009
Additional funds received by 2009
Three-year goals
1. Expand ASB program to include
international destinations
2. Develop Campus Wide Community
Outreach Alliance
Five-year goals
1. Possible Mandatory Service Requirement for
students
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International offering by 2011
Establish college representative for
all six colleges
Establishment of a mandatory
community service requirement by
2013
1/2/2008