Expanding our reach: Ohio State bolsters initiative

An enhanced Web presence featuring project and resource databases, newly formed committees and restructured leadership responsibilities are among the infrastructure improvements being applied as the University bolsters its outreach and engagement efforts to have a statewide impact.

The new developments were unveiled to more than 300 conference participants as the University hosted "Helping to Build Ohio's Future: The Ohio State University's Outreach/Engagement Commitment" April 20 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Columbus.

The conference brought together University and community partners for a day of discussion, project displays and workshops designed to initiate new partnerships and enhance already existing relationships.

"There's a difference between a university that does outreach and one that is engaged. One that is engaged has the infrastructure in place to enhance partnerships between the university and community," Bobby Moser, vice president for University outreach, told the audience during opening remarks. Moser also is vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Part of his new responsibility as outreach vice president entails providing leadership to the University's efforts to address outreach and engagement in a more systematic manner. Last year, a strategic plan for P-12 education was identified. Moser said the agenda now includes involvement in two other principal areas: science technology and economic development, and health and safety.

"Key to all of this is University and community partnerships that capitalize on our individual skills, and that we plan, implement, evaluate and fund together," Moser said. "We need to concentrate on partnerships in which we maximize our ability to enhance our communities."

President Brit Kirwan told those attending the conference that outreach and engagement is a central mission of the University, that it is not a new function but rather an integral part of teaching, research and service.

"Ohio State has a long and proud tradition as a land-grant university that serves the people of Ohio," Kirwan said. "Today, Ohio faces new challenges and we must become a land-grant institution for the 21st century.

"There is no better example of a 21st century land-grant mission than our efforts to address such issues as P-12 education, economic development and health/safety," Kirwan added.

He also said that the outreach and engagement initiative is a top University priority and would continue whatever the outcome of the current state budget.

To further support outreach -- one of the main strategies outlined in the University's Academic Plan -- changes are occurring within the Office of Outreach and Engagement. The office is moving from the Agricultural Administration Building to the fifth floor of Smith Laboratory (tentatively set for June 1), and is putting in place a team that will work to support and encourage University outreach and engagement. The team is led by Moser; Karen Bruns, leader of OSU Cares and outreach and engagement; and Janet Sanfilippo, newly hired director of University outreach.

New committees

To move the outreach initiative at Ohio State forward in dealing with the challenges it faces -- such as rewards, funding and collaboration building -- two new committees have been formed: the Dean's Advocacy Committee and the Vice President for University Outreach's Leadership Action Committee.

The Dean's Advocacy Committee, chaired by Nancy Rogers, vice provost for academic administration, includes the following members: John Cassady, dean of the College of Pharmacy; Judith Koroscik, dean of the College of the Arts; John Riedl, dean of the Mansfield campus; Donna Evans, dean of the College of Education; and C. Bradley Moore, vice president for research.

The Vice President for University Outreach's Leadership Action Committee includes: David Allen, assistant vice president for technology partnerships; Terry Foegler, president of Campus Partners; Ilee Rhimes, chief information officer; Keith Smith, director of OSU Extension; Dominic Dottavio, dean of the Marion campus; Deborah Merritt, director of the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy; Rogers; Dick Stoddard, director of federal relations; Susan Fisher, secretary of University Senate; Lee Tashjian, vice president for University relations; Daryl Siedentop, director of the P-12 Project; and Ronald St. Pierre, senior associate vice president for health sciences.

New databases

Moser also told conference guests that the University continues to move forward in creating a culture at Ohio State of a more engaged institution. While the Roads Scholars program, roundtable discussions and publications continue to have an impact, Moser said a stronger Web presence is needed. Two new databases have been created and will continue to be fine-tuned: a listing of outreach projects (www.osu.edu/outreachprojects) and a listing of resources available to support such initiatives (http://outreachresources.osu.edu).

The projects database will give faculty, staff, community members and students access to a list of hundreds of outreach projects already being conducted or planned at Ohio State. The database will assist those collaborating on projects and those interested in outreach but unsure about how to start, and help in updating year-end reports, Moser said.

The resources database is for faculty, staff and students interested in developing or enhancing their outreach and engagement activities. It is designed to help navigate around the myriad resources that support faculty and staff engaged in community and statewide outreach and distance learning initiatives. The database will include information on buildings and rooms on and off campus available for meetings or to teach distance learning technology; community liaisons; funding opportunities; instructional development; marketing and communications; technology support; and University guidelines and support.

Any unit, department or college that provides services or resources that can assist others is encouraged to add its services to the database by visiting http://outreachresources.osu.edu and following the appropriate links.

At the conclusion of the conference, Moser challenged those attending to take the ideas presented back to their co-workers, and to develop the contacts made at the conference into relationships, so that the University can continue to move toward enhanced community/University partnerships.

Partnership offers literacy skills to city's deaf population

A partnership between the Ohio State Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing (CSTW) and the Columbus Speech and Hearing Center (CSHC) is teaching literacy skills to a population that has grown up primarily on sign language.

"Project Deaf Write: OSU CSHC On-Line Literacy Partnership" is electronically linking students in Ohio State English courses with students participating in CSHC's Reading Enhancement for the Adult Deaf (READ) instruction. Specially designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults, READ is currently offered at CSHC's East North Broadway site and to deaf and hard-of-hearing employees at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), a federal government facility on Columbus' East Side.

Carolyn C. Wulfhorst, associate director of CSTW, and Brenda Jo Brueggemann, associate professor of English, built the foundation for the collaboration. A $10,000 OSU Cares grant set the project into motion this quarter.

The project is designed to give confidence in reading and writing English to those accustomed to using American Sign Language (ASL).

"For students at CSHC, what they are doing is learning to write in a second language. In their first language, ASL, there is no written component," said Mindy Wright, interim outreach coordinator of CSTW and director of the Writing Workshop in the Department of English.

She said the project follows the model of the literacy partnerships Ohio State has formed with three Columbus Public Schools. CSTW and Ohio State's Writing Workshop are operating literacy partnerships that connect OSU students with public school pupils through tutoring programs aimed at helping kindergartners, third-, fourth- and fifth-graders prepare for the state fourth-grade and sixth-grade proficiency tests, Wright said.

Project Deaf Write serves as a service learning opportunity for higher-level English students, and consists of two sections. One section will pair students in English 405, "Introduction to Technical Writing and Editing for Students in the Humanities" -- taught by Wulfhorst -- with CSHC students in the READ class consisting of DFAS employees. These students will experience real-world practice in sending e-mail memos, letters, reports and other business documents to each other, and work as a group to plan a business meeting and write a summary report afterward, Wulfhorst said.

In the other section, graduate students in English 881.02, "Teaching Basic Writing" -- taught by Brueggemann -- will communicate via e-mail with students enrolled in READ at CSHC. These electronic writing partners will write to each other about a variety of reading and writing issues and practices, complete joint assignments and share feedback on writing projects.

Brueggemann's research specialty is deafness and literacy, which is the focus of her book Lend Me Your Ear: Rhetorical Construction of Deafness. She said she wants her OSU students, aspiring young writing instructors of the future, to be aware of the lack of a translation between ASL and written language and of the difficulties that presents, particularly for college-level writing. For adults in the READ program, she hopes to make reading and writing a pleasant and more communicative experience, unlike the comprehension drills they have most likely encountered repeatedly over their lifetime. While they are very skilled in ASL, she said, her goal is to see them use the English language in written communication online.

But the 60,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing people in central Ohio also generate a much larger vision within her: "I have a dream that someday deaf and hard-of-hearing students will feel comfortable about coming to Ohio State to learn," Brueggemann said.

Joe Noethlich, the READ instructor, said that anyone who is 18 or older and either deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind is eligible for READ. Because of the nature of teaching English to people accustomed to working with ASL, he said outcomes are not easy to measure. However, he is looking for the Deaf Write project to help increase functional English literacy skills and instill more confidence in the reading and writing of English among his students.

He sees the partnership with Ohio State as a chance to enrich both CSHC and Ohio State.

"In my opinion, this is a first step in what I hope can become a very effective collaboration," he said.

Wright said a common challenge present in all literacy outreach projects is the effort to establish a reciprocal relationship that draws on the strengths of all involved.

"We want to make clear that we at OSU have as much to learn from our partners as they might have to learn from us, that everybody is giving something and everybody is learning something," Wright said.

While the project has obvious benefits to those being served, it also has rewards for those serving. A former high school teacher who admits she was sometimes bored by reading and writing in the classroom, Brueggemann always looked forward to the relief high school field trips offered. She said she sees Deaf Write as an extended field trip.

"Also, this is a land-grant university. This is part of our mission, that we keep in touch with the community, and that we send a portion of ourselves out to them," Brueggemann said.

The project also gives students a chance to learn in real-world situations, which enhances the teachers' work in the classroom, Wright said.

"It's rewarding to me because I think they learn better in those environments," Wright said.

For details about this or other CSTW activities, contact Mindy Wright at wright.7@osu.edu, or visit the Web at www.cstw.ohio-state.edu/outreach.htm

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