More than 300 higher education attendees expected at forum on innovation and public engagement
University Park, Pa. — The ninth National Outreach Scholarship Conference will be held Oct. 7-9 at Penn State’s University Park campus. The conference serves as a forum to advance outreach scholarship and strengthen cooperation between the University and the public, as well as a way to provide an opportunity for critical reflection on the public mission and work of an academic institution.
Craig Weidemann, vice president of Penn State Outreach, said he is excited to have the Outreach Scholarship Conference return to Penn State, where it originated 10 years ago.
"The genesis of a national conference on the scholarship of outreach and engagement sprang from a dialogue among Penn State faculty members and administrators 10 years ago. The initial Outreach Scholarship Partnership -- Penn State, Ohio State, and the University of Wisconsin Extension -- has now grown to nine universities," Weidemann said. "These partner institutions along with colleagues from across the nation and around the world will return to University Park to reflect on how engagement and public scholarship can enhance a broad, integrated approach to teaching, research and service and discuss what communities expect from engaged universities."
More than 300 people from throughout the country are expected to attend the conference, including university faculty who are involved in engaged scholarship and university staff members who develop connections between the research and service missions of their institutions and their constituents. Students and community members who are working to increase engagement or want to learn more about engaged institutions will also attend.
The conference is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin–Extension, Ohio State University, University of Georgia, University of Alabama, North Carolina State University, Michigan State University, University of Kentucky and Purdue University.
Information about the conference is available at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/outreach-scholarship/ online.