Partnership & Place-Based Community Engagement: Competencies and Contributions of Professionals Within an Emerging Field

As institutions of higher education bolster their commitment to institutionalizing community engagement and strengthen their efforts to intentionally connect and partner with local communities, there is an increased call to focus on a place-based community engagement strategy. Colleges and universities look to Community Engagement Professionals or (CEPs) to initiate and lead this approach. The University of Pittsburgh has initiated such as strategy, facilitated and supported by the place-based CEPs within the Office of Community & Governmental Relationships and the associated neighborhood-based Community Engagement Centers. Although there is research which presents the professional competencies for CEPs in general, the literature does not directly address the unique work of the place-based professionals within this greater field. Through Participatory Action Research (PAR), utilizing an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach, this study examines the work of partnership focused and democratically oriented place based CEPs at the University of Pittsburgh to gain a deeper understanding of the specific competencies necessary for supporting place-based community engagement. Initiated through an agreement with the Office of Community & Governmental Relationships, 6 place-based CEPs at the University of Pittsburgh participated in a multi-stage Participatory Action Research process, which included individual pre and post-group session journal entries and a five-phase, multi activity Appreciative Inquiry working session which was held virtually. The researcher coded the data using a thematic analysis. This study presents 5 place-based CEP professional competencies, which are identified as Relationship with Self, Relationship with Place, Institutional Relationships, Personal & Professional Relationships and Interrelationships. These competencies are connected as part of a larger relationship-oriented framework which is viewed and interpreted through both the CEPs individual understanding of Self and Place