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Almost 400 attend national Outreach Scholarship Conference hosted by UW-Extension
Representatives from all of the partners of the Outreach Scholarship Conference attended the event Oct. 7-9 in Madison. They included (from left to right): James Oblinger, chancellor, North Carolina State; Art Dunning, vice president for public service and outreach, University of Georgia; Craig Wiedemann, vice president for outreach, Pennsylvania State University; David Wilson, chancellor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension; Hiram Fitzgerald, associate provost, university outreach and engagement, Michigan State; Kevin Reilly, president, UW System; James Zuiches, vice chancellor for extension, engagement and economic development, North Carolina State; Bobby Moser, vice president for university outreach, Ohio State University; Marv Van Kekerix, vice chancellor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension; Ed Mullins, former dean, College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama.
Photo by Jim Gill
Drawing nearly 400 professionals from around the country, the 2007 Outreach Scholarship Conference (OSC), Access through Engagement, was a lively source for discussion, debate and celebration of university-community outreach. The conference, held Oct. 7-9 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, was hosted by UW-Extension and co-sponsored by the Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University and University of Georgia.
Potential collaborations
Attendees from 81 institutions in 37 states participated in nearly 100 learning opportunities, including presentations, poster sessions, community tours and plenary sessions. Diane Pillard, campus executive officer/dean, UW-Rock County, was a first-time attendee. "As a former continuing education director, I recognize the value of outreach to the campus and the community," Pillard says. "But even more importantly, now that UW Colleges and UW-Extension have integrated many of our departments and procedures, I feel it's important to understand the outreach programming we are both offering in order to identify potential collaborations."
Three firsts
The 2007 Outreach Scholarship Conference featured three important firsts:
- Three institutions joined OSC as sponsors: Michigan State, North Carolina State and University of Alabama.
- OSC co-sponsored the Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop along with the National Center for the Study of University Engagement at Michigan State University, in partnership with the Higher Education Network for Community Engagement.
- The five regional winners of the C. Peter Magrath/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award made presentations in front of a panel of judges. This award recognizes the work of former National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) President Magrath. One recipient will be named the $20,000 national winner.
Success due to the work of many
"The success of the Outreach Scholarship Conference was due to the efforts of many: the executive committee and the national and local implementation committees and subcommittees," says Mary S. Grant, associate dean, Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, UW-Extension, who served as conference chair. "Members of all four UW-Extension divisions and UW Colleges worked together to attract a large crowd. Ultimately, what made the conference a success was the willingness of all of us to share with colleagues across the country, so that we can transform ourselves into engaged scholars and institutions."
2008 OSC at Penn State
The 2008 Outreach Scholarship Conference, themed Innovation and Leadership for Engagement, will be Oct. 7-9 at Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pa.
For more information:
www.outreachscholarship.org
Mary S. Grant
Associate Dean
Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning
UW-Extension
(608) 265-9247
grant@conted.uwex.edu
By Amy Pikalek, communications and marketing manager, Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, UW-Extension