ESC Professional Development Webinars - Engagement Scholarship Consortium

Upcoming Webinars

The Engagement Scholarship Consortium offers webinars and online professional development and networking opportunities for faculty, practitioners, graduate students, and university leaders throughout the year. These opportunities are offered exclusively to individuals affiliated with ESC member institutions.

Be sure to register for each session using the links below.

Making Community Engagement Count: Promotion and Tenure Lessons From Recently Promoted Scholars

October 28, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Eastern)

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Navigating promotion and tenure expectations can sometimes feel daunting for community-engaged scholars. In this webinar, recently promoted or tenured faculty will share practical insights from their own journeys, including strategies for documenting community-engaged scholarship, demonstrating impact, building a strong promotion dossier, and balancing institutional expectations with authentic community partnerships. Participants will gain firsthand advice, lessons learned, and actionable tips for making community-engaged work visible, valued, and successful throughout the promotion and tenure process.

Kelly Hirko, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University
Jason Reece, Vice Provost for Community Engaged Scholarship, Ohio State University
Noreen Rodriguez, Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Michigan State University

Ethics, Equity, and Responsible AI Use in Community Engagement

November 10, 2026 | 9:30–10:30 a.m. (Eastern)

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In this webinar, community engagement researchers will discuss their innovative approaches to responsibly integrating AI tools with their scholarship while maintaining rigorous ethical standards, transparency, and accountability to community partners.

Becca Berkey, Senior Director, Integrative Engagement and Global Impact, Northeastern University
Drew Pearl, Assistant Professor, Leadership and Community-Engaged Learning, Kansas State University
Elaine Ward, Professor, Education and Social Policy, Merrimack College

Success Strategies for Unpacking Your Community Engagement Work Into Multiple Scholarly Pieces

December 11, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Eastern)

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Do you have a great service-learning, outreach teaching, community-engaged research, or Extension project and are unsure how to write it up for a peer-reviewed publication? Are you interested in branching out into interdisciplinary community engagement journals? Then this interactive webinar is for you.

Diane Doberneck will focus on what makes publishing community-engaged work different than publishing traditional scholarship, how to incorporate community partner voices, how to unpack a robust project into multiple scholarly pieces, and how to achieve article “fit” with specific journals. She will share additional ideas on how to disseminate your community-engaged scholarship at community engagement-friendly conferences. She will also review several practical writing tools and where to access more writing resources and support. Come away from this webinar with next steps for advancing your writing and publishing success.

Diane Doberneck, Director for Faculty and Professional Development, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, Michigan State University

Navigating Tensions Between Personal and Institutional Values and Goals in Community-Engaged Scholarship

January 25, 2027 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Eastern)

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Community-engaged scholars often pursue their work with commitments to relationship building, responsiveness to community priorities, reciprocity, and meaningful community impact. At the same time, universities operate within systems that emphasize individual initiative, productivity, efficiency, and metrics that reflect institutional prestige. While these goals may occasionally align, they can also create tensions that require difficult choices and ongoing negotiation. This panel will explore the challenges that arise when personal values, community priorities, and institutional expectations do not fully align. Panelists will share their experiences balancing relationship-centered engagement with academic demands, navigating competing definitions of success, and making decisions when commitments to communities conflict with institutional pressures. Participants will gain insight into strategies for approaching these tensions thoughtfully while remaining grounded in their values and goals.

Jennifer Carrera, Associate Professor, Sociology, Michigan State University
Fatima Espinosa Vásquez, Associate Professor, Information Science, University of Kentucky
Yingying Han, Assistant Professor, Information Sciences, University of Tennessee – Knoxville

From Co-Design to Delivery: Building Transformative (and Replicable!) CEL Courses

February 16, 2027 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.

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Community-engaged learning (CEL) has the power to redefine the college classroom, but how do we build courses that deliver authentic community value while remaining manageable for faculty? Join Susi Keefe and Mellinee Lesley for a practical, pedagogy-focused webinar on turning course-embedded projects into sustainable learning experiences. Drawing from community-based course models, this session walks participants through the lifecycle of an engaged course—from initial partner co-design, student preparation, assessment for student learning and community impact, and final delivery. You will gain adaptable templates, scaffolding strategies, and key takeaways to design CEL courses that are transformative, reciprocal, and easily repeatable.

Susi Keefe, Associate Director, Community-Engaged Scholarship, University of Minnesota
Mellinee Lesley, Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Texas Tech University

Developing, Sustaining, and Evaluating Community-Academic Partnerships

March 4, 2027 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.

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Successful community-academic partnerships are built on trust, shared goals, and meaningful collaboration. This webinar will explore practical strategies for developing equitable partnerships, sustaining engagement over time, and assessing and improving partnership processes and outcomes. Participants will learn evidence-informed approaches to fostering mutual benefit, strengthening communication and governance, and using evaluation tools to measure partnership health, impact, and continuous improvement.

Becca Berkey, Senior Director, Integrative Engagement and Global Impact, Northeastern University
Rebecca Riccio, Juffali Family Director, Social Impact Lab, Northeastern University

Past Webinars

Building Capacity for New Faculty/Graduate Students for Community Engaged Research

April 10, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Eastern

Building the capacity of new faculty and graduate students to conduct impactful community-engaged research is critical to the overall engaged campus. Experts from Kansas State University, Ohio State University, and Merrimack College will share insights into the professional development strategies in place at their institutions. The panel will highlight which initiatives have been most effective in preparing scholars for community-based inquiry, identify existing challenges and structural barriers, and explore innovative plans for expanding support in the future. This session will offer guidance and inspiration for institutions looking to strengthen their commitment to community-engaged scholarship through targeted development efforts.

Drew Pearl, Assistant Professor, Leadership and Community-Engaged Learning, Staley School of Leadership, Kansas State University
Elaine Ward, Professor, Higher Education, School of Education and Social Policy, Merrimack College
Maurice Stevens, Associate Dean for Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio State University

Community Engagement and Impact, Impact, Impact: a Co-Curricular Model for Co-Creating Change

March 18, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern

With a 10-year strategic plan entitled “Inspiring the Future Makers,” Lehigh University is an institution increasingly dedicated to the real-world application of classroom theory. Lehigh’s Office of Creative Inquiry offers students from all majors the Impact Fellowships, an opportunity to engage, over two semesters, with authentic, multiyear projects alongside faculty mentors and external partners. Khanjan Mehta, Lehigh's inaugural vice provost for creative inquiry, and Bill Whitney, assistant vice provost for experiential learning programs, will present the Impact Fellowship program’s structure, methodology, and examples of how addressing complex global problems can translate into students taking radical ownership of potential solutions, advance knowledge and praxis, and prepare students to lead deeply rewarding lives of impact.

Khanjan Mehta, Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry, Lehigh University
Bill Whitney, Assistant Vice Provost for Experiential Learning Programs, Lehigh University
Pragnya Yerramalli, Materials Science and Engineering major, Lehigh University, ’28, Sustainable Futures Fellow, Global Social Impact Fellow

A Comprehensive Promotion and Tenure Toolkit for Engaged Universities

February 10, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

In this webinar, Rod Williams, vice provost for outreach and engagement at Texas Tech University, will discuss the history and need for promotion and tenure (P/T) reform, scholarly vs. societal impacts, how to incorporate community-engaged learning in P/T dossiers, how to frame engagement narratives, how to evaluate engagement dossiers, and the evolution of engaged institutions.

Rod Williams, Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement, Texas Tech University

From Framework to Practice: Strategies for Modernizing and Institutionalizing Engaged Scholarship in Research Universities

January 28, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

How do research universities move beyond aspirational language to embed engaged scholarship in real and lasting ways? Join national leaders in community engagement as they explore actionable strategies—from tenure reform to leadership development— guided by Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good: A Framework for Public Research Universities (Aurbach, et al., 2023). This session highlights both structural change and the more profound shifts in culture and meaning that sustain it.

Lorilee Sandmann, Professor Emerita, Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, College of Education, University of Georgia
Lina Dostilio, Vice Chancellor for External Relations, University of Pittsburgh
Andrew Furco, Professor, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota

The Unique and Complementary Roles of Outreach and Engagement and Extension Offices in Facilitating Engaged Scholarship

October 14, 2025 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. Eastern

As higher education institutions deepen their commitment to community engagement and impact, extension and engagement leaders are reimagining how to collaborate to achieve institutional engagement goals. This webinar brings together leaders from three land-grant universities to reflect on the evolving relationship between extension and engagement, drawing on their personal journeys, institutional histories, and emerging opportunities for collaboration. Panelists will explore how their offices uniquely and collectively advance engagement goals, the challenges of communicating their value across campus, and the structural and cultural shifts needed to move from siloed to synergistic efforts. Participants will leave with insights into how to deepen collaboration between extension and engagement and prepare the next generation of engagement professionals.

Kwesi Brookins, Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, Michigan State University
Quentin Tyler, Director of Extension and Senior Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University
Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff, Kansas State University
Gregg Hadley, Assistant Vice President and Director for Extension, Kansas State University
Charlie Stoltenow, Dean/Director, Cooperative Extension Division, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Tiffany Heng-Moss, Interim Vice Chancellor, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska System

Community Engagement in the Arts: Exploring Arts-Based Engaged Scholarship

March 6, 2025 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Moderated by Lisa Florman, Ohio State University's first vice provost for the arts, this panel will explore innovative arts-based community-engaged scholarship. Panelists include Tom Dugdale, associate professor of theatre, film, and media arts; Nyama McCarthy-Brown, associate professor of community engagement through dance pedagogy and artist laureate; and Terron Banner, manager of community learning and engagement at the OSU Urban Arts Space.

Assessing Community Engagement: Exploring Outputs Versus Impact

February 11, 2025 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Assessing impact is an important aspect of community engagement as it demonstrates this work is creating change in communities and in people's lives. Presented by Henry Cunningham, director of community engagement at the University of Louisville, this session will look at outputs and impact, how they differ, and their importance in community-engaged work. It will also explore what should be assessed and how impact assessment should be conducted.

Preparing and Evaluating Engagement Dossiers

January 22, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern

In this workshop, Rod Williams, vice provost for outreach and engagement at Texas Tech University, will discuss how to frame your dossiers, incorporate important components, and report impact. This session will also address strategies to evaluate engagement dossiers in external reviews and on primary promotion committees.

Integrating Community-Based Learning into Course Curricula: Design and Implementation

November 20, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Michelle Snitgen and Stephanie Brewer, from Michigan State University's Center for Community Engaged Learning, offer a workshop exploring the many benefits of community-engaged learning for students, faculty, and communities, and share strategies for designing and implementing course-based community-engaged learning experiences.

Advising and Mentoring Ph.D. Students Advancing Community-Engaged Dissertations: A Discussion of Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities

October 31, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

In this interactive workshop, Brandon Kliewer, associate professor of civic and organizational leadership with the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, will discuss the process of creating a Ph.D. program focused on community-engaged research, as well as the challenges and opportunities that arise when mentoring students conducting community-engaged dissertations.

Evaluating the Scholarship of Engagement

May 8, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Lorilee Sandmann, professor emerita of the University of Georgia and former director of the National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement, will discuss evaluation of the scholarship of engagement. This session will support scholars who are preparing community-engaged portfolios for promotion and tenure review as well as reviewers of these portfolios.

Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement Reviewer Session

April 24, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Join Shannon Brooks, editor of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (JHEOE), and Julianne O’Connell, managing editor, to learn more about the journal’s peer review process, including best practices for conducting a review and strategies for integrating reviewer feedback as an author. This session is recommended for all audiences. Published by the University of Georgia, the JHEOE is sponsored by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.

Preparing for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement

February 28, 2024 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. Eastern

Facilitated by Cammie Jones, director of the Carnegie Elective for Community Engagement, this session will introduce participants to the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement 2026 application, highlighting changes in content and practices made by the Electives Team, including the addition of a new section on civic and democratic engagement. The Elective Classifications serve as a tool for people-centered systems change in higher education. Utilizing self-study as a tool for institutional reflection, the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement assesses institutional principles and practices that promote transformation through collaboration between campuses and communities that demonstrates the legitimacy of community-engaged practices, partnerships rooted in reciprocity, and outcomes in which the knowledge(s) of those in the community are validated and legitimized. The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement framework reflects ongoing transformative shifts within our institutions, communities, and how we come together to address institutional and community-based problem solving for the public good.

Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network (OEPN) Energy Boost

February 15, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern

Is Barbie a boundary spanner? Join other outreach and engagement practitioners for conversations about what it means to be a boundary spanner. Organized by the ESC Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network.

Turning Community Work into Publications

February 9, 2024 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern

Diane Doberneck, director for faculty and professional development, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, Michigan State University, will talk about specific steps for developing scholarly publications from your community-engaged work.

Navigating Leadership Changes in Outreach and Engagement

January (date TBD)

Join Larry D. Terry II, vice president for Penn State Outreach, and Steve Abel, associate provost for engagement emeritus, Purdue University, to talk about ways in which an engagement professional, researcher, educator, or leader can navigate the leadership changes experienced by many of our institutions. This session is part of ESC’s Coffee and Conversations Series.

Leveraging the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement Application

December 6, 2023 | 1:00–2:30 p.m. Eastern

Cammie Jones, director of the Carnegie Elective for Community Engagement, will introduce the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement and its relevance to engaged scholarship and community capacity. Utilizing self-study as a tool for institutional reflection, the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement provides an independent and rigorous assessment of an institution’s extraordinary commitment to, investment in, and accomplishment of community engagement. Speakers will highlight the 2024 application cycle and revisions to the 2026 application, including a new section on civic and democratic engagement, how it reflects ongoing transformative shifts within our institutions and communities, and the Carnegie team’s approach to address institutional and community-based problem solving for the public good.

Using the Researcher Impact Framework to Document the Impacts of Your Community-Engaged Research

November 17, 2023 | 10:00–11:00 a.m. Eastern

How can we communicate the benefits of engaged research? Join us to discuss the Researcher Impact Framework (RIF), a tool designed to support researchers in identifying, recognizing, and valuing the multiple activities of their scholarly life. Giovanna Lima, impact project officer at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Sarah Bowman, director of strategic engagement at the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability at Trinity College Dublin, will share how the RIF can be used and adapted to your needs.

Giovanna Lima has been delivering strategic approaches to fostering societal impact in research, education, and engagement at Erasmus University Rotterdam since November 2022. Prior to this, Giovanna served as Trinity College Dublin’s first research impact officer. With a Ph.D. and master’s in public administration from FGV-EAESP (Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas), she was a research consultant for The Economist Intelligence Unit and held a number of senior public management roles for the City Hall of São Paulo. Sarah Bowman is an accomplished professional with a career spanning over two decades, characterized by her unwavering commitment to strategic program development and deployment. She has spearheaded policy implementation efforts in over 1,300 communities across the United States, Canada, and Ireland. She has also played a pivotal role in assisting teams in securing funding exceeding $400 million to implement community transformation efforts in Ireland and the United States.