Progress Report - February 2008
Open Forum
The CMU 2010 Communications Committee hosted another successful Open Forum January 29 to further discuss CMU's Key Performance Indicators and the Targets. The Forum was primarily as a lecture/presentation with time for questions and suggestions. We plan to include our off-campus faculty, staff and students through the use of streaming video. Once that link is available, we will post it to the CMU 2010 homepage and include in it the March update.
Fireside Chat
The ComCom will also be holding a Fireside Chat on February 18th from 2:00-3:30 in the Community Seminary Room (HP 2150) to discuss project ideas for the next CMU 2010 Vision Fund Request for Proposals, to be announced in April. This session will include an opportunity to talk to potential collaborators with similar interests. Collaboration, as you know, is an important factor in enhancing the likelihood of your project acquiring funding.
To that end, a discussion board has been created to facilitate collaborative efforts across campus in an electronic medium. We encourage you to submit your ideas to help bring folks out that may have a proposal similar to your own. You can access this board at using your global id. We encourage you to check in periodically to see how your office/department might be able to collaborate with these ideas!
Mark your Calendars!
- Fireside Chat - February 18, 2008 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm
KPIs
The following KPIs have been updated with FY08 data.
Spotlight on Young Teens Network of Mt. Pleasant
The past spotlights have all featured projects funded by the CMU 2010 Vision Fund, but other great ideas are being developed across campus that are really helping CMU to realize our Vision also. While it is wonderful that we do have limited funding available for projects through the course of the strategic plan, our underlying goal is to begin thinking strategically by understanding what will make CMU nationally prominent for the great work we're doing - with or without such funding.
One individual who has modified her daily obligations to help CMU achieve this vision is Linda Dielman, CMU Public Television Programming/Outreach Manager. She has been working collaboratively with individuals from the university and the Mt. Pleasant community to address a specific community need which ties in closely with our strategic Priority IV - Service for the Public Good. One area this group of 40 believes they could strongly impact is the community youth. Nearly three years ago, they began planning to create a Teen Center to allow 12-15 year-olds an opportunity to engage with each other socially, learn from CMU student mentors, and discover resources that are available to help them be successful in life.
With the help of ORSP, a grant proposal was submitted in 2005 to launch this project. Not long after, Hurricane Katrina hit, and severely limited the amount of funding available. Although a lot of hard work had been put into developing the proposal, the group was not without hope. They were dedicated to making sure the project would happen, with or without the grant money.
Since that time, these folks have made tremendous progress. In the past year, a core group of 14 individuals were formalized to create a 501 C-3 Non-profit Organization to support the Young Teens Network of Mt. Pleasant. This Board of Directors has written a mission statement and vision statement and has elected officers. Directors include a great mix of business people and other professionals from the community, as well as individuals from all across campus including Dr. David Kinney, Sociology, and Dr. Norma Bailey, Teacher Education and Development and Dr. Jean Prout, Marketing and Hospitality Services. The initial group members represented ORSP; Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Administration; Middle Education; Center for Applied Research and Rural Studies; Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work; and Public Broadcasting.
With a strong group of leaders, anything is possible. Just this year, St. John's Episcopal Church volunteered their Parish Hall from 3:30-7:30, Monday through Thursday, so that Young Teens Network can use the space to attract and retain youth. About 34 CMU students are involved at the center throughout the week, and a total of nearly 45 students are involved in some aspect of the project. With the help of dedicated leaders and invaluable volunteers, CMU is making a difference in the lives of these adolescents by giving them a place to read, listen to music, play video games, and generally interact with one another. One can hope that the impact of this network will not only give these teens a sense of belonging, but also lead them to get to know CMU student mentors and possibly have the opportunity to attend CMU someday.
For more information on this project and/or how you can get involved, please contact Linda Dielman, call 3562.
