I. Vision: To realize mutually-enriching educational and scholarship opportunities through enduring campus-community partnerships of Fordham University with its neighbors of the greater metropolitan area.
II. Mission: To foster and sustain campus-community partnerships that embody trust, embrace diversity of expertise, and strengthen the power of scholarship and service working together to mutually benefit communities and the University.
III. Values: The Center’s foundational values are to:
- Recognize its responsibility to carry out Fordham University’s mission of service in all aspects of its work-research, scholarship, and education.
- Foster greater awareness of communities’ needs, resources, and perspectives.
- Create partnerships for collaborative work that embodies the expertise and meets the needs of all parties.
- Work democratically and collaboratively.
- Participate transparently and through open dialogue.
- Seek social justice, equity, and social responsibility.
- Share the research, scholarship, and teaching expertise of Fordham faculty, administrators, and students.
- Build the Center as a national educational resource for innovation in engaged research, scholarship, and policy with University faculty and community partners as teachers.
IV. Goals: The Center strives to:
- Develop collaborative projects to promote the health and well-being of our communities through sharing and building resources to address issues identified by community partners.
- Develop strategies for working together which emphasize equality, democratic, transparent dialogue, and a shared search for social justice.
- To advance understanding of cultural diversity and individuality as a means to enhance social equity and mutual respect on campus, in communities, and in all campus-community relationships.
- To promote professional development and teaching that support community-engaged service, research, and scholarship.
- To participate in and shape regional, national, and global conversations about models of university-community partnerships and campus-community collaborations.
V. Areas of Focus: The Center will focus its efforts on a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to:
- Economic justice and poverty
- Health and wellbeing
- Environmental health
- Children and youth
- Injury and violence prevention
- Educational and community-based programs
- Physical activity and nutrition
- Built environment