Metropolitan State University is pleased to be a signatory to the Campus Compact 30th Anniversary Action Statement, joining many other higher education institutions committed to taking specific steps to deepen their engagement for the benefit of students, communities, and the broader public.
Campus Compact, a consortium of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education, celebrated the signing of the Action Statement during a Summit of Presidents and Chancellors on March 20, 2016 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston. More than 80 signatory presidents and chancellors attended the summit. Interim President Devinder Malhotra did not attend the summit, but had previously signed on to the agreement during a local gathering for member presidents held in Saint Paul.
Over 350 Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors have signed the Action Statement. The document concludes with a commitment by each signatory to create a Campus Civic Action Plan to be shared publicly. Campus Compact will support campuses in developing these plans.
Regarding the university’s endorsement of the Action Statement Interim President Devinder Malhotra stated, “The Campus Compact Action Statement affirms the core principles of Metropolitan State’s mission: preparing students to be active, engaged citizens; knowledge co-creation that melds community and university expertise; a stewardship of place that guides our organizational behavior; an unwavering commitment to challenge inequalities in pursuit of a just and sustainable future for this region.
“By ratifying this declaration, we attest that higher education, among its many purposes, is fundamentally about advancing the public good. As a signatory, we’ll benefit from the technical assistance of Campus Compact and the resources of that consortium to further our university’s endeavors while contributing to a national effort to sustain and strengthen our nation’s democracy.”
“Colleges and universities exist to promote public goods,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “By signing the Action Statement and committing to develop Campus Civic Action Plans, these 350 presidents and chancellors are challenging their institutions to go even further in preparing students for lives of engaged citizenship, contributing to the health of communities both local and global, and sustaining our democracy in the face of the twin challenges of inequality and polarization.”
Campus Compact is a nonprofit coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents— representing some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. The organization supports campuses in work that advances the health and strength of communities and American democracy, both by preparing students for lives of engaged citizenship and by building partnerships to advance community and public goals.
METROPOLITAN STATE UP FOR THREE AWARDS
Additionally, Metropolitan State University has submitted three nominations for the Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ Awards. The awards recognize effective leadership in the development of campus-community partnerships and acknowledge outstanding collaborative work. The award recipients will be recognized at Minnesota Campus Compact’s annual summit on April 7 at Macalester College.
The Metropolitan State Student Senate was nominated for the Student Leadership Award for contributions to negotiating a mutually beneficial outcome for neighborhood residents, lawmakers and public officials during the recent campus expansion, including the Student Center, a Science Education Center and parking facility.
Professor Nadarajan “Raj” Sethuraju, School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, was nominated for the Civic Engagement Steward Award. The nomination praised Sethuraju for his attitude and methods, and his work to make every voice matter in justice systems and processes: Sethuraju actively partners with numerous organizations on behalf of Metropolitan State.
In Progress, a Saint Paul-based media arts organization that supports young artists in telling their stories using digital media, was nominated for the Community Partner Award. Metropolitan State University and In Progress share a common goal to provide venues for individuals and groups to tell their own stories, with their own voice, to accurately interpret historical events. The university’s collaborative efforts with In Progress reach youth and adult audiences in excess of 2,000 participants annually.