Huddle lead: Crystal Montalvo, Director of Community Educational Engagement
College of Staten Island (CUNY)
New and aspiring HSI’s often work on becoming an HSI in status and practice through asset-based and participatory frames; placing students and the communities they come from at the center of our efforts. Community engagement professionals have a critical role to play, and a unique expertise that could serve the asset-based and participatory goals of this institutional transition from PWI to HSI. Moreover, as we partner with our surrounding communities in reciprocal and asset-based ways, what would it mean if our HSI status was an intentional pillar of our community engagement, and existing place-based and anchor mission initiatives?
This CUMU Huddle is intended for community engagement professionals seeking to share their stories, and explore the complexities, challenges, and opportunities presented for our PWIs in transition.
Additional questions we could explore are:
• What parts of our approaches as PWIs in transition, come into question as we make space for an HSI identity?
• How is our community engagement and cradle-to-career anchor work impacted, when increasingly our students are from, and reflect the surrounding community?
• How do we foster a sense of belonging among students and partners?
• How can we be more intentional about the pipeline or feeder opportunities this presents for our institutions?
• How do we build bridges across campus with Chief Diversity Officers & Enrollment Management in this effort?
• How can place-based perspectives inform our institutional transitions?
If you have any questions, please email
ddarr@cumuonline.org.