Dear ACE Faculty,
As we have all learned, Carleton classes will be happening online for at least the first half of spring term due to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of that determination, the CCCE is suspending in-person community and civic engagement activities as of today until further notice. This difficult decision reflects a commitment to the safety of our campus and broader community—yet it also means we are unable to physically contribute to partner organizations that will be sustaining key functions such as food access, healthcare, and education in our community during this challenging time.
Regarding spring term, as you are redesigning your courses to accommodate the digital format, we understand that some courses will not be able to continue with their engagement component. However, many of you planning to do ACE research, consulting, or advocacy projects in your courses may still be able to carry these out with few adaptations since the majority of that work can be done digitally. We will be working to send resources to help support you in these transitions.
We will also be sending out a survey to our community partners regarding how we might work together to help stem the spread of the virus and continue to support their work through remote strategies. Here are some things you might want to consider as you think through variations of what spring term could look like:
- What do your partners want and need? Let us know who you’re working with and we’ll share whether they’ve responded to our coronavirus response planning survey. Work collaboratively to consider changes to the scope of the work the students are doing, to make contingency plans for presentations or other sharing, and to openly discuss what impacts might arise if students are not able to complete the ACE project as initially designed.
- Are there remote projects that can support vulnerable populations? In the survey, we’ve asked partners to self-identify whether they consider those they work with to be vulnerable populations and if there are remote projects that could help support them. Please contact us to see if we have that information regarding your partner.
- For direct service courses, you students will not be able to meet in person with community partners until at least May 5th. Please be in touch with your community partners. While the CCCE will also be sending emails to community partners, it is important that multiple lines of communication are open. Also, consider discussing why you initially planned this course with an ACE component. Would it be possible to have students create action plans in collaboration with community partners for future civic engagement?
Please know that we’re here to consult with you as you consider how you might proceed. We are planning to host a Zoom meeting for faculty interested in moving to digital ACE projects on Wednesday, April 1st at 10 AM. Please email Emily Oliver at eoliver@carleton.edu if you would like to participate. And, as I know you’re all aware, things are changing every moment with respect to COVID-19, and any future official communications or decisions from the college administration shall supersede anything in this email should there be conflicting information.
For More Information:
If and when additional information impacting ACE courses becomes available, we will work to share that with you in a timely manner. You may also visit Carleton’s COVID-19 website at any time for the most up-to-date information regarding the campus response.
If you would like to discuss the specifics of your course please contact Emily Oliver at eoliver@carleton.edu. Sinda Nichols at snichols2@carleton.edu is also now fully on board with our team and available for consultation.
We appreciate you, your important work, and your understanding during these uncertain times.
Thank You,
Sinda Nichols, on behalf of the Center Community and Civic Engagement Team