On the Job with the Office of Community Collaboration

The Bulletin spoke with Charlotte Cook, director of Community Collaboration.

What do people think you do?
“People on campus think that our office sends students into the community for mentoring and tutoring programs.”

What do you really do?
“What we really do is make a match between the materials students need to learn in a course, and a community-based service activity that will help them master that material. In other words, we do ‘service learning.’ We do have some tutoring projects, but we also have computer science students who develop websites and security systems for government agencies and non-profits. We have interior design, graphic design and photography students working on the interior space of the Salvation Army Services downtown. We helped develop learning projects for faculty from 83 courses and sections this past year, drawing on our 107 community partner organizations.”

Describe your office.
“Our office has two staff positions, four student assistants, a program director and a coordinator for partnerships.”

What surprises people?
“Faculty are surprised that it takes so much work to develop and maintain a partnership with a community organization that educates their students. They are surprised—and pleased—by the difference the Office of Community Collaboration can make.”

What’s your biggest challenge?
“A 250 percent growth in our program and the same number of staff for the past four years. This year we have 2,500 students in our program.”

What do you get asked the most?
“From faculty and community partnerships, it’s usually, ‘How much work will this take for me?’ People’s greatest concern is that service learning will take lots of time that they don’t have. But our job is to do as much as we can for faculty and community partners.”