The University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement (OPE) is a national leader in advancing community-engaged research, teaching, and outreach that address the most pressing issues of our time. OPE builds and supports infrastructure throughout the University’s five-campus system that promotes deep, mutually beneficial partnerships for scholars, students, and communities throughout Minnesota and beyond.
Established in 2006, the office works with programs, departments, and academic units on five University campuses to establish the institutional culture, policies, and infrastructure that promotes high-quality public engagement as a way further the University’s mission and improve the quality of life of Minnesotans and communities around the world.
A systemwide academic support unit, OPE also oversees three University centers of community-engagement: the Center for Community-Engaged Learning; the Center for Urban And Regional Affairs; and the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center.
University of Minnesota Public Engagement Milestones
2023
After a national search, University of Minnesota Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson announces that Laurie Van Egeren has been appointed the University's new vice provost for public engagement, effective October 23, 2023. As vice provost for public engagement, Van Egeran will serve as the University's systemwide chief engagement officer with direct oversight of the University's public engagement agenda and Office For Public Engagement.
2022
University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development Associate Professor Heidi Lasley Barajas begins tenure as interim associate vice president for public engagement.
2021
The University's Public Engagement Footprint is created by the Office for Public Engagement in partnership with U-Spatial, a unit of Research Computing in the University's Office of the Vice President for Research as part of the University of Minnesota's MPact 2025 Systemwide Strategic Plan.
2020
The University's Summer of EngageMNt is created by the Office for Public Engagement to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from across the University's system to take action to respond to the present and emerging needs of Minnesota communities impacted by the effects of COVID-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd's killing.
The Office for Public Engagement's biennial conference on issues of public engagement—Partnering with Minnesota: Connecting the University with Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities through Public Engagement—exceeds 400 in attendance.
2019
The University's Review Committee on Community-Engaged Scholarship is established by the Office for Pubic Engagement in partnership with the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs. The review committee offers guidance and voluntary feedback for participating community-engaged faculty during their promotion and tenure (P&T) process.
2018
The Office for Public Engagement launches the University's first system-wide Community-Engaged Scholar and Community-Campus Liaison online directories.
2017
The University's Twin Cities, Rochester, and Morris campuses develop Public Engagement Action Plans that build upon the University's public engagement efforts.
2016
The Office for Public Engagement leads the development of a system-wide Community-Engaged Learning Course Attribute for students to use when searching for classes and for instructors to select when developing a course that includes a community-engaged learning component.
The Office for Public Engagement kicks off University's first system-wide biennial conference series on issues of public engagement with Meeting Society's Grand Challenges Through Community-Engaged Research, Teaching, and Learning.
2015
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities receives the Community Engagement Reclassification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advance of Teaching. The University of Minnesota, Morris receives the Classification for the first time.
2014
The Office for Public Engagement launches the system-wide Issue Area Networks project and Engaged Scholar Critical Community Engagement Roundtable, a discussion series and networking group for faculty, staff, and students.
2013
The University of North Carolina system models its metrics system for community engagement after the University's Public Engagement Metrics Framework.
The University's system-wide Community-Engaged Scholar Awards are established to recognize University faculty who conduct high quality scholarship that benefits society and advances the public good.
2012
More than 2,000 University of Minnesota Twin Cities students participate in service-learning courses offered across more than 30 departments.
2011
The University's Ten-Point Plan for Advancing and Institutionalizing Public Engagement is presented and spotlighted as a model for strategic development of public engagement at the annual meeting of The Research Universities Network for Civic Engagement (TRUCEN).
2010
University of California Berkeley requests the University of Minnesota craft the Civic and Community Engagement Module of the Student Experience in the Research University Survey (SERU). The module, which assesses students' participation in community engagement, is administered at 18 research universities.
The University's Public Engagement Council is created as official system-wide body to review standards of practice and address critical policy issues pertaining to public engagement.
2009
University of Minnesota Twin Cities undergraduate student participation in the Community Engagement Scholars Program jumps 50 percent to more than 600 students, an increase of more than 400 students over the prior year.
The Office for Public Engagement's Engaged Department Grant Program is established to support academic units in integrating public engagement into research, teaching, and outreach priorities.
2008
Andrew Furco is named the University's Associate Vice President for Public Engagement to lead the the Office for Public Engagement.
The University's system-wide Ten-Point Plan for Advancing and Institutionalizing Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota is published.
The University is inducted as a member of the Talloires Network, an international consortium of 220 colleges and universities across the globe devoted to advancing social responsibility in higher education through research and teaching.
2007
University of Minnesota promotion and tenure guidelines are revised to encourage public engagement.
The University of Minnesota is one of 25 research universities selected by the National Campus Compact to serve as a foundation member of The Research Universities Network for Civic Engagement, a national consortium of leading research universities focused on advancing the public engagement agenda in higher education.
2006
The University of Minnesota becomes one of the first six research universities in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Foundation's Community Engagement Classification. The University's application is singled out as an exemplar and is used as a model to guide other universities in developing their applications.
System-wide Office for Public Engagement is established, charged with deepening the institutionalization of public engagement across the University’s research, teaching, and outreach missions.
2005
The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents approves task force recommendations and adopts University-wide definition of public engagement.
University of Minnesota Professor Victor Bloomfield is appointed University's first Associate Vice President for Public Engagement.
2003
The COPE recommends action steps to elevate the value and role of community engagement in advancing the University’s research and teaching priorities.
2002
The University's Council of Public Engagement (COPE) is established.
2000-2001
The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents establishes an ad hoc committee on Public Engagement and Outreach.
University of Minnesota Provost Robert Bruininks creates the Task Force on Civic Engagement and an Administrative Committee on Public Engagement and Outreach.