Collaboratory

What is Collaboratory?

Collaboratory is a database tool for tracking, reporting, connecting, and planning community engagement efforts at UMB.

What does Collaboratory do?

Collaboratory is a relational database that will:

  • Collect and track community engagement information (interactions, courses, events, grants, etc.)
  • Generate reports
  • Provide a public platform to connect individuals and organizations
Goals of Collaboratory at UMB:

A system to track community engagement at UMB will allow us to:

  • Understand and articulate a full picture of community engagement activities
  • Improve or create connections and coordination among UMB faculty, staff, and students working with community partners and potentially addressing similar issues
  • Address community-identified needs more efficiently
  • Engage and recognize community partners, faculty, and staff
  • Assess community engagement efforts across UMB
  • Complete applications and generate reports related to community engagement at UMB

 

Definitions ▾

Community engagement is a process by which an institution works with community partners to co-create and implement mutually beneficial activities distinguished by collaboration and reciprocity. The exchange of expertise and ideas between academic and external community partners leads to the co–creation of knowledge and activities that generate benefits for the academic institution as well as community partners.

Public service (sometimes referred to as community service or outreach) occurs when an institution provides expertise, resources, and services to or for community individuals, groups, organizations, and the general public. External entities may invite, host, attend, participate, and benefit from the activity, but the primary responsibility for the design, delivery, and assessment of the activity is shaped by the academic institution.

PUBLIC SERVICE vs. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COURSES:

PUBLIC SERVICE: Expertise/resources/ services primarily designed by the university.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Activities that are mutually beneficial and distinguished by collaboration and reciprocity.

Community-awareness courses are those that include content that facilitates an awareness about the multitude of factors that impact health and quality of life for individuals, families, societies, or overall community well-being.

Service-learning courses are experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities designed to promote student learning and development, including reflection and reciprocity. (Jacoby, Service-Learning in Higher Education, 1996)

Community-engaged courses include the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their local, regional/state, national, or global communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. (Carnegie Classification)

Community-awareness courses may include;

  • guest speakers from, or site visits to,  community organizations designed to provide basic community understanding and/or community awareness.

Service-learning courses are centered around:

  • student learning done in accordance with community-identified needs; and
  • critical reflection built into the course objectives.

Community-engaged courses may include:

  • student projects or services with community partners or organizations that are mutually beneficial and involve an ongoing relationship.

 

How it Works ▾

Submitting Activities

Community engagement and public service activities are submitted for publication by IPACE/OCE staff proxies.  Submitted activities are reviewed by IPACE or OCE staff administrators and the faculty/staff owners.  If data is incomplete or needs to be updated the activity will be sent back to the creator of the activity to update.  Once updated it can be resubmitted for publication.  After the IPACE or OCE staff administrator approves the activity, it will be published and searchable within the system. 

If you are interested in submitting an activity, contact Cailin Yasunaga

Updating Activities

Activities can be updated over time to add new information, specifically changes to numerical data such as student involvement, hours contributed, and individuals impacted.

Viewing and Searching Activities

Approved activities can be viewed and searched publicly by anyone visiting the he.cecollaboratory.com/umb site, either in list or map view.  

Accessing Reports and Campus Data

An internal report dashboard to review all activity data is available to members with administrator permission.  Currently, only IPACE/OCE staff have administrator access.  Custom reports can be generated to identify all activities connected to your college, unit, office, department, or organizational area at UMB. Contact Cailin Yasunaga if interested in pulling a report.

Getting Started ▾

When you are ready to add community engagement or public service activities, please contact Cailin Yasunaga.

Data collected includes:

  • Activity title, a brief description, contact information, and location
  • Collaborators (institutional units, faculty/staff partners, community partners, and other institutions of higher education)
  • Populations served (urban communities, youth, etc.) and areas of focus (education, health and wellness, community and economic development, etc.)
  • Connected scholarship, courses, and student involvement
  • Outputs, institutional outcomes, and community impacts

View the Collaboratory Activity Form Preview

Activity Map