Public Engagement

The University of Minnesota is undertaking a major revision of its tenure guidelines. Public Engagement is proposed to be, for the first time, an explicit component of the activities that may be considered in evaluating performance. The proposal that will be discussed by the Faculty Senate at the end of this month is:

7.11 General Criteria. What the University of Minnesota seeks above all in its faculty members is intellectual distinction and academic integrity. The basis for awarding indefinite tenure to the candidates possessing these qualities is the determination that each candidate has established and is likely to continue to add to a distinguished record of academic achievement that is the foundation for a national or international reputation or both. This determination is reached through a qualitative evaluation of the candidate’s record of scholarly research or other creative work, teaching, and service. Interdisciplinary work, public engagement, international activities and initiatives, and technology transfer will be taken into consideration, when determined to be relevant by the department or equivalent academic unit, in evaluating the candidate’s satisfaction of criteria; such contributions can involve scholarly research or other creative work, teaching, and discipline-related service.

We use the CIC definition of engagement:

Engagement is the partnership of university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to

• enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity;
• enhance curriculum, teaching and learning;
• prepare educated, engaged citizens;
• strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility;
• address critical societal issues; and
• contribute to the public good.

Some comments seem useful to elaborate on how this definition fits into our usual academic criteria:

• A key concept, which differentiates engagement from standard service or outreach, is "partnership". This does not mean that the U and the public provide the same kinds of resources, but rather that the public partner brings knowledge of community problems and issues, local skills and obstacles, cultural awareness, specific technical information, etc.
• Engagement is intended to enrich research and enhance teaching, not to stand apart from them.
• Points 3 and 4 are perfectly aligned with our liberal education goals.
• Points 5 and 6 speak directly to our land-grant mission.