Barry University Team Presents Collaborative Approaches to Service in a Diverse, Urban Community

Barry University Team Presents Collaborative Approaches to Service in a Diverse, Urban Community at the NASPA Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Conference.

At Barry University we are proud to develop and support collaborative approaches to promoting civic learning and democratic engagement between students and staff. These approaches were highlighted when the university sent a team of student and staff leaders and a faculty member to present about our community service and civic engagement activities on a diverse campus in an urban area north of the city of Miami.

The presentation team at the 2015 ADP/TDC/NASPA Conference on June 5 included staff members Courtney Berrien, Associate Director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives, Derek Bley, Coordinator for Leadership Development & Student Organizations in the Center for Student Involvement, students Lavelle Dunn, the Student Government Association president, and Donte Roberts, a Barry Service Corps scholar, and faculty member Dr. Sean Foreman, an Associate Professor of Political Science.

The session titled “Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative Approach to Service in a Diverse, Urban Community” provided an overview of several efforts at Barry. A key question driving the presentation was “how does a university create civic identity with a highly diverse student population in a diverse, segregated city?” Courtney Berrien set the stage by discussing Barry’s geographic location and the legacy of low civic engagement especially in neighborhoods surrounding Barry. She noted the 2010 study “A Tale of Two Cities” which demonstrated poor civic health in the metro Miami area. 

Lavelle Dunn discussed Barry’s highly diverse student body and some of the student clubs that facilitate student participation on campus and in the community. The international flavor of our student body as well as the number of first generation college students presents some additional challenges in our efforts to promote civic learning and community service.

Derek Bley presented Barry’s focus on “Vocational Discernment” for incoming students. Students are asked to “Discover Your Calling” and this includes exploring one’s passions and gifts as well as recognizing the hungers and needs of the world in which they live. Student program goals are aligned with a Barry motto of “Learn, Reflect, Serve” which all members of the university community are called to follow.

Donte Roberts discussed the Freshmen Experience Day and Make a Difference Day. As a student leader who has been able to make a difference with various organizations on many occasions, Donte provided firsthand knowledge of the impact that this has had on his life and that of his peers. Donte also reviewed the “Discuss Your Calling” workshop series that is a popular way for students to explore their potential and open their minds to new opportunities.

For Freshman Experience Day students have participated in a number of diverse projects. Some helped with beautification projects to help prepare neighboring low-income K-12 schools to look great on the first day of school. Others worked to make a difference by helping to redevelop the grounds of local community partners. Some students participated in a design charrette with local residents to design a community garden walk while others supported infrastructure-building projects with a local organization that provides support to entrepreneurial green businesses based in low-income communities. Each of these activities allowed students to serve the local community surrounding our university, especially areas most in need, and then to reflect on their experiences through group conversations and written reflections.

Derek also introduced the Miami Shores Community Learning Partnership (CLP) which was established in 2008 by local leaders in the educational, business, and civic environments. The CLP selects a theme each year like active citizenship or domestic violence and plans and implements student leadership development training as well as community engagement efforts.

The democratic engagement component is the focus of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP). Dr. Foreman discussed the origins of the university-wide collaborative efforts to educate students about political issues and campaigns and to register voters. We discussed our debate watch parties that were especially well attended in 2012 with 60 at the first one 66 at the third presidential debate. We also had a mock presidential debate with students taking the stances of the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigns. Refreshments and supplies for the debate watch parties were supported by a Florida Campus Compact mini-grant.

In 2014 we partnered with TurboVote to increase our voter registration efforts. Barry was found by independent analyses to have about 75% of students already registered to vote. Using TurboVote prior to the 2014 midterm elections we were able to register 58 people either as new voters or voters who will receive periodic information about elections from the service. Incidentally, we reported registration of 330 voters in the two months prior to the 2012 presidential election without TurboVote by having authorized groups come to campus and register voters. In 2016, we will again use TurboVote as well as outside groups and hope to register even more new voters --- and to educate them about the candidates and issues with the intent that they will become voters.

We also highlighted our U.S. Constitution Day efforts each year on September 17. In 2014 we made it a day long commemoration. At noon we had a panel of students discuss the First Amendment Right to Peaceably Assemble moderated by Dr. Foreman. There was a U.S. Constitution trivia table set in the center of the student center for two hours during the day and during the event. Then in the evening we showed a movie in a dorm lobby. Fruitvale Station provoked strong emotions in students as they thought about similar tragedies in their lives and how to prevent them by writing their comments on poster boards posted around the room.

Foreman also discussed efforts to encourage participation in local issues like a Miami Shores Open Forum prior to the elections for city council earlier this year. Barry is actually located in the municipality of the Village of Miami Shores. There were also organized efforts to walk and bus students to the voting polls. These efforts are particularly challenging to generate interest in local issues when a large portion of the student population that is active in on-campus events comes from other places in the country or the world.

Before taking questions from the audience which filled the room, we introduced our QEP and mentioned the focus on experimental learning and university efforts focused on community-based service. Experiential Learning is a key way to instill personal and social responsibility as well as focus on ethical and moral reasoning, engage diverse perspectives, and promote community collaboration.

After the discussion students in the audience asked the Barry students how to deal with diversity on campus in these various activities. Lavelle was able to provide some insights and then offered to speak to those interested in these efforts more after the session ended.

The trip to the Big Easy was a great bonding experience for the students and staff involved in the adventure. The NASPA Civic Learning conference was informative and provocative and the presentation by the Barry team was well received. The collaborative efforts on campus between our Student Affairs and Academic Affairs sides of the university are rich and rewarding and we plan to build upon them in the coming year, promoting community on and off of campus, and providing many more opportunities for civic learning and democratic engagement for our students and staff.