Community-Engaged Scholarship in Promotion, Tenure, and Review at the University of Minnesota with David Weerts

David Weerts is a Professor of Higher Education at the University of Minnesota and Associate Vice Provost for Public Engagement for the UMN System. His scholarship centers on building productive relationships between universities and external partners, including community organizations, policymakers, and alumni. Dr. Weerts works to support faculty in community-engaged research and institutional advancement. He will share UMN’s approach to community-engaged scholarship in their PT&R process, their engaged-scholarship review committee, and what the impact across campus has been.

This event is part of the Learning Series on Community-Engaged Scholarship. Other events include:

• Writing and Community Engagement with Indigenous History with Sarah Richardson - Wednesday, November 5, 12:00-1:00 PM; hybrid
• How to Use the Institutional Review Board (IRB) as an Engaged Scholar - Wednesday, December 3, 12:00-1:00 PM; hybrid

About the Community-Engaged Scholarship Learning Series

This Fall 2025 learning community is a place where instructors can explore a range of topics, challenges, and opportunities that arise within the world of community-engaged scholarship.

Community-engaged scholarship is teaching, research, or creative activity that is carried out in collaboration with community partners to address shared concerns and generate mutually beneficial outcomes. Members of the university community and community partners contribute their expertise, learn from each other, share decision-making, and deepen the learning of students involved.

In practice this may look like:

• A service-learning course that combines classroom and experiential learning through student volunteering and reflection  
• A community-engaged course in which significant portions of the syllabus are co-planned, or even co-taught, with community partners  
• Academic and community-based researchers co-design a study to address the concerns of the of community clinic patients

Who should attend?

These sessions are open to any UVA colleagues interested in community-based teaching, engaged scholarship, and university-community partnerships, including full-time and part-time faculty (tenured/tenure-track, AGFM), graduate students, postdocs, and staff. No prior experience is required. You can register for sessions individually.

Sponsors

This series is organized with support from the Center for Teaching Excellence and Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Outreach.