CAMPUS-COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Siena Research Institute The Ongoing Partnership between ACE and SRI with the Capital Region Community is Strengthening the Mission of Siena College By Pete Cichetti While the Siena College Research Institute (SRI) is often cited by journalists and reporters for its political and economic polls, few people realize that SRI is constantly utilizing its unique resources to inform the public about many of our community’s most pressing issues. In an effort to stay true to Siena’s mission, SRI has a deep, ongoing partnership with Siena’s Office of Academic Community Engagement (ACE). SRI and ACE have and continue to work collaboratively on a variety of projects to identify the greatest areas of need facing our communities and to inform both the public and non-profit organizations about how to effectively and strategically enhance their service offerings to better serve the community. Last year, SRI and ACE conducted a Community Needs Assessment for the Albany Community Action Partnership (ACAP) where we assessed the quality of life here in Albany County and measured the greatest areas of need facing our region, according to the public. Additionally, the two departments have collaborated on the Civic Health Index, which quantifies the level of “civic health” in New York State; that is, how involved NY citizens are in performing their civic duties (such as volunteering, voting, and attending public forums), and how we can work to increase our overall civic health. 22 | DEEP Service
Since 2009, the Siena Research Institute, in collaboration with ACE, has conducted the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement (NASCE), which measures a college or university’s overall community impact by evaluating the rate, frequency, and depth of student service activities. The NASCE has gained national prominence and is now recognized as the leading assessment of its kind. With the largest dataset on community engagement activities on college campuses ever comprised, SRI and ACE are continuously providing institutions of higher education with vital and necessary information to help them improve their service opportunities and increase their impact in the community. Data serves as the backbone to assessment and evaluation, which are the driving forces behind progress. The partnership between SRI – a hub of information – and ACE – a hub of active and community-driven students and administrators – is unique in that it enhances the college’s ability to not only continuously gather quality data, but to subsequently utilize that data to take action and bring about real change.