Communications
Welcome, to recently hired staff members and new department to Undergraduate Studies!
March 2022
Undergraduate Studies (UGS) has held its first orientation event for recently hired staff.
The orientation, to be held twice a year, dives into what we do at UGS. New staff can meet the dean and assistant deans, connect with coworkers, and learn about the UGS units, including the UGS four pillars. Assistant deans will talk about the pillars they oversee, and the event covers the UGS front desk role and UGS鈥檚 processes and procedures.
All new staff will continue to attend the Human Resources onboarding session.
鈥淭he UGS orientation was both fun and practical. The icebreaker was an enjoyable opportunity to talk with and learn more about my new coworkers; hearing from the assistant deans about the functions of the many offices under their purviews helped me better understand the structure of UGS,鈥� said Joy Harris, director of the Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR).
Also, UGS welcomes the Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships (OCEP) functions as a bridge between the USF faculty and the community, connecting faculty research, students, courses, and the community. We鈥檙e happy to welcome them back to UGS.
Once a semester, OCEP hosts a community-university matchup, where faculty and community partners reconnect with each other and continue to engage and understand what each other does, why they do it, and how they can best work with each other. OCEP assists faculty members in determining the fit with coursework, community needs, research, and how to fulfill the community-based designation piece for the course.
When the faculty and community partner, it is important that the community鈥檚 voice and needs are heard and reflected in the work and research to be done. Meeting the partners and helping solve their identified challenges are key. All contributions are respected in this reciprocal relationship.
OCEP also manages the Community Engagement Associates Program (CEAP). Here, students eligible for the Federal Work-Study program work off campus and gain real-world experience. Serving roughly 40 students a week, the program enables students to build essential skills, contribute to the organization鈥檚 goals, and develop working relationships.
Another OCEP community program is the Community Sustainability Program (CSPP), an initiative connecting municipal and county governments (or similar entities) for an academic year. Each year, a new community partner is selected to receive support from USF faculty and students through a community-engaged course. Projects range from a variety of community needs and issues, such as urban reuse and brownfield redevelopment, food access and nutrition, multimodal transportation, parks and public spaces, economic development, and more.
OCEP also works with the Undergraduate and General Education Councils to review the qualifications for community-engaged designation course approvals.
Welcome back, OCEP!