Evaluating Engagement: Artists & Scholars in Public Life is Sept. 24-25 The North Valley Arts Council, University of North Dakota President’s Office, Provost’s office and Center for Community Engagement are pleased to present Evaluating Engagement: Artists and Scholars in Public Life from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, and from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Evaluating Engagement features discussions on public scholarship and service learning in the arts, humanities and design. Evaluating Engagement programs will be facilitated by Jan Cohen-Cruz, director of Imagining America, a national consortium of colleges and universities committed to joining serious intellectual endeavor with a commitment to public practice and public consequence. Cohen-Cruz will present two projects developed by Imagining America in support of public scholarship: The Curriculum Project and the Tenure Team Initiative Report. The Curriculum Project explores how arts educators educate arts practitioners, and how this training could be deepened and made more effective. Cohen-Cruz will identify resources needed to maintain effective scholarship and community engagement. The Tenure Team Initiative Report seeks to articulate and support the work of publicly engaged scholars and artists. Team members developed a broad understanding of the university’s public mission and its impact on changing scholarly and creative practices in the cultural disciplines. Cohen-Cruz will discuss evaluation criteria that can serve as models for faculty and administrators seeking to more fully support public scholarship. Evaluating Engagement features the following events, all of which are free and open to the public: Wednesday, Sept. 24, 3 to 5 p.m., River Valley Room, Memorial Union What Do Students Learn – featuring the presentation of UND’s service learning goals and the curriculum project, followed by a panel discussion on incorporating service learning through the arts and humanities. Jan Cohen-Cruz will facilitate the discussion with panelists Kathleen Coudle King (women studies, English), Lucy Ganje (art), Kathleen McLennan (theatre arts), Dana Michael Harsell (political science), Tami Carmicheal (integrated studies), Anne Kelsh (instructional development) and Brianne Huber (honors student). Closing remarks will be provided by Robert Boyd, vice president for student and outreach services, and Gregory Weisenstein, vice president for academic affairs and provost. Thursday, Sept. 25, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Link (300 Cherry St.) Standards for Success – a roundtable discussion with members from the University community and the community-at-large on identifying when service learning has been successful, and formulating standards for measuring the success of university service learning and public scholarship projects in the community. Thursday, Sept. 25, 3 to 5 p.m., Room 16-18, Swanson Hall Are Faculty Rewarded? – featuring a presentation of the Tenure Team Initiative Report, followed by a panel discussion valuing public scholarship in the cultural disciplines with Dan Rice (dean, College of Education and Human Development), Marcia Mikulak (anthropology), Virgil Benoit (languages), Jon Jackson (University Senate), Jeff Weatherly (psychology), and Royce Blackburn (music). Evaluating Engagement is sponsored by the North Valley Arts Council through its Art nd Democracy program, the University of North Dakota President’s Office and the University of North Dakota Provost Office, and is organized in partnership with the University of North Dakota Center for Community Engagement. For more information, call 701-777-6120 or visit www.culturepulse.org. The North Valley Arts Council supports arts and culture for the artists, arts organizations and citizens of Greater Grand Forks. -- Nicole Derenne, Executive Director, North Valley Arts Council, nicolederenne@novac.org, 777-6120