Community Engagement Policies and Guidelines
Thank you for visiting COMPACT’s community engagement policies and guidance page. We appreciate your interest in building partnerships with community organizations and are glad to support you in this exciting journey.
At COMPACT, we understand community engagement based on the definition from the Carnegie Foundation:
Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.
The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.
Whether you are a Brandeis student, staff or faculty member interested in community engagement activities, COMPACT is here for you. In addition to the policies and guidelines set forth on this page, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person 1-1 to discuss your community engagement goals. Please reach out to us at compact@brandeis.edu to set up an appointment with our staff.
Policies and Guidelines
COMPACT is pleased to offer this compilation of resources.
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Collaboration agreements are a great way to start your partnership off and ensure that both parties are on the same page. Below are some templates and resources to help you navigate this process. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this process more in-depth, please contact Associate Director Megan Moran at meganmoran@brandeis.edu.
*Resources:
*Please note that none of these templates or sample documents are endorsed or used by Brandeis University, and they should not be used for Brandeis business or coursework without going through Brandeis’ Contract Management, a department within Procurement and Business Services.
COMPACT is an academic Center of Brandeis University. Therefore, all community engagement at Brandeis is governed by University Policies.
Human Resources: Some HR University Policies may relate to your community engagement activities such as those on the topics of “Discrimination, Harassment and ADA” and “Safety in the Workplace.” Questions? Please contact the Office of Human Resources at humanresources@brandeis.edu.
Risk and Waiver Liability Forms: If the university is sponsoring or organizing an event or activity for Brandeis or non Brandeis community members, a waiver should be considered.
Intellectual Property: If your community engagement activity involves research that needs protection under intellectual property policy, please consult the Brandeis Intellectual Property (IP) Policy. Questions? Please contact the Office of Technology Licensing at otl@brandeis.edu.
Human Research: All community engagement activities that involve human subjects research need to follow the policies and procedures set forth by the Brandeis University Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). Questions? Please contact HRRP at hrpp@brandeis.edu.
Risk Management: All community engagement activities need to follow the mission and policies of the Office of Risk Management at Brandeis. Please pay special attention to “insurance requirements.” Questions? Please contact Bill Thomas (Risk & Insurance Manager) at billthomas@brandeis.edu.
Travel: If travel is a part of your community engagement activity, please consult Brandeis’ Travel Policies (Insurance & Risk Management) and Travel Services (Procurement & Business Services).
Note: COMPACT is unable to provide legal advice. We are happy to connect you to colleagues in General Counsel if your partnership requires this expertise.
COMPACT is delighted to administer an annual community partner survey and activity report that help us to document campus-wide community engagement, ensure that we are centering mutuality and respect in all partnerships, and think with you about opportunities to further develop our collaborations.
If you would like us to administer any of these evaluation tools on your behalf, please reach out to us at
compact@brandeis.edu. More generally, if you have questions about partnership evaluation, please also connect with us!