Fordham University Center for Community-Engaged Research

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