Students gain more from the college experience when engaged in learning opportunities outside the classroom. That is the opinion of noted experts and scholars across the nation and, as "Building Bridges," the upcoming Engaged Campus Conference, will demonstrate, one that Montclair State faculty is proving to be true.

The program will be held March 25 and 26 in the Student Center Ballrooms.

"Studies show that educational experiences such as internships and community service provide students with opportunities to synthesize, integrate and apply their knowledge," said Jane Zeff of Institutional Research, who will be one of the presenters at the first day's session. "Experts also point out that gains in cognitive complexity are a function of a combination of peer interactions and leadership responsibilities."

In her presentation, "Active Collaborative Learning: Some MSU Findings from National Surveys," Zeff will cite statistics from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program 2001 Freshman Survey administered by the University of California-Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute. She will highlight parts of the report that focus on students' personal objectives, particularly those relating to volunteer or community service work. She also will give an overview of findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement conducted by the University of Indiana.

"Much of the research in higher education emphasizes the importance of community service," Zeff said. At Montclair State, 18 percent of freshmen entering in fall 2001 described their chances of participating in community service work as very good, which is 2 percent higher than the national average of comparable universities.

Sponsored by the Center for Community-Based Learning, in collaboration with student leadership programs, the two-day conference is an opportunity for the campus community to learn about the many ways the University is bridging academic and community service experiences. "This conference is the first of its kind," said Freyda Lazarus, director of the Center for Community-Based Learning. "This year we made the conference more interactive between the community and the campus."

Marybeth Henry of Human Ecology will talk about service-learning partnerships that focus on aging. She will be joined by community partners Andrea Solazzo of the Van Dyk Manor and Jackie Schneider of the Red Cross. Vijay Jaisinghani of Human Ecology, Elaine Russo of Cooperative Education and several students will speak about bridging Service-Learning and Cooperative Education experiences. Traditional and non-traditional approaches to community involvement and student leadership will be presented by Esmilda Abreu of the Women's Center and Marie Cascarano of the Wellness Center. There also will be a presentation by TheatreFest and Norman's Ark, which educates children about overcoming crises with love and tolerance.

The dialogue will continue with roundtable discussions that include the above speakers as well as Mark Kaelin of Health Professions, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies with Debra Lesnick of the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton; Kenneth Brook of Anthropology with Beverly Riddick of HOMECorp. and Karen Kadus of the town of Montclair; and Jerry Kloby of the Institute for Community Studies.

"These discussions will allow those in attendance the opportunity to discuss the issues on an informal yet personal level," Lazarus said. "Presenters will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge about these campus/community projects."

Poster sessions will provide informational materials on more than 15 programs and centers including the Human Relations and Leadership Development Association, Presidential Student Leaders, Virtual Field Experiences and the Community Outreach Partnership Center.

A workshop on the scholarship of engagement will be offered the following day from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Russ Hall, Kops Lounge. Participants will explore how the applied research and active pedagogy that characterizes scholarship of engagement may be assessed and valued within the University's expanded definition of scholarship. David Cox, assistant to the president at the University of Memphis, will facilitate the workshop. Cox serves on a national review panel seeking to develop criteria for the evaluation of scholarship.

"This conference exemplifies the work we do at the Center for Community-Based Learning," Lazarus said. "It gives us the opportunity to make examples of these experiences and hopefully encourage more of their kind."

For more information about the conference, call Linda Gonzalez at 973-655-4363.

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