Campus and Community Engagement (CACE), a unit within the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, aims to nourish a UAB climate and culture through the promotion of social responsibility and inclusive excellence via education, training, service, and the advancement of intercultural appreciation. Together, we seek to leverage the university's mission and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a resource to foster greater academic discourse that leads to intentional community engagement, particularly for historically underrepresented and marginalized communities through four focus areas: education access and success, climate and intergroup relations, research and scholarship, and community building.

Campus and Community Engagement seeks to build and strengthen partnerships with diverse businesses, industry, educational institutions, civic and community organizations with a focus on historically underserved and underrepresented populations. Our approach is embedded within the democratic-centered framework that shifts the traditional discourse on relationships from “partnerships” and “mutuality” to that of “reciprocity” which supports the sharing of knowledge and resources between academics and non-academics in ways that enhance and empower a broader commitment and dialogue toward authentic problem solving in an outside of UAB. Thus, our goal is to develop living learning communities composed of students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to serve as “think tanks” on (1) identifying and forging pathways to increased education access and success; (2) facilitating climate and intergroup relations based discussions towards truth, healing, and reconciliation; (3) highlighting research and scholarship to better inform decision making for the common good; and (4) ensuring that voices are represented and the actions taken reflect the values of both UAB and the communities we serve.

Community Engagement

If you would like to become a partner or looking for volunteers, please contact bwolfe@uab.edu.

As a Carnegie Community Engaged institution, UAB has consistently maintained its commitment to service learning and support of community collaborations. CACE continues to build upon this foundation as we strive to be a national model for campus and community engagement throughout programs and partnerships with other campus departments, leveraging the resources of the university on all levels to provide a quality community-based learning experience for volunteers and community agencies alike. CACE provide resources for anyone interested in getting more involved in the community. Furthermore, we design our programs and services for instructors, students, student organizations, campus departments, community partners, and local agencies.

Engagement Opportunities

• All
• Animals
• Children & Youth Education
• Civic & Community
• Health & Wellness
• Hunger & Homelessness
• Senior

To encourage learning, we aim to create a climate of respect for the free exchange of knowledge and ideas dedicated toward problem solving in a diverse, rapidly changing, and increasingly technological global society. Additionally, we view UAB as more than a space to learn by simply accepting dictated knowledge; we understand our institution to serve as a laboratory to engage and reflect through your own experiences, interactions, and observations. Through our office, we will connect reflective, caring, and highly skilled practitioners and scholars to all those who engage us in hopes of challenging traditional ways of thinking and educational boundaries on a variety of topics and issues from history and pop culture to current events and politics. Afterwards, we encourage you to take the knowledge you have gained to enlighten others and ultimately change the world. We will provide learning opportunities through small to large group discussion series, service initiatives, trainings, workshops, and more.

Critical Conversation: Community Wide Civic Dialogue

Critical Conversation is a platform for students, faculty, staff, and local citizens outside of UAB to come together and discuss topics ranging from current events and pop culture to social commentary and how these issues intersect and affect our daily lives. The aim of this initiative is three-fold: (1) To use current events, pop culture, and social commentary as a means to engage UAB and its surrounding communities in civil discourse; (2) Facilitate deeper understandings about some of the today’s most vital issues by using our local and national experts to contextualize and inform discussion topics; and (3) Train and empower participants in how to critically consume, scrutinize and respond to information provided through various communication mediums. We believe that by creating these type of informative dialogues, we contribute to strengthening our learning communities and providing a safe intellectual space for faculty, students, staff, and members of the community to engage one another. Thus, we continue the work of breaking down social barriers which ultimately divide us from community building.

See upcoming events at www.uab.edu/dei/criticalconversations.

#TalkMatters: New Initiative to Focus on Critical Dialogues

#TalkMatters is an initiative to bring the UAB community together to address issues of inclusion, diversity, equality, and awareness through an education lens. #TalkMatters aims to facilitate open, and honest discussion about social justice and fairness and introduce knowledge and skills that strengthen the capacity of our campus community to drive structural inclusion for all groups.

Each month, ODEI will facilitate discussions around challenging topics like bias, microaggressions, predispositions and blind spots. Our hope is that participants gain a deeper understanding of differences and a greater respect for diversity as a strength and value added as we strive to build a more inclusive and welcoming community.

See upcoming dates at http://www.uab.edu/dei/talkmatters.

Community Month

Throughout January, activities are planned to engage students, faculty, staff and the wider community in diversity programs that include lectures, cultural programs, film screening and games organized by various academic and support units across the campus. Many of these events allow departments and organizations to showcase their diversity efforts through presentations, lectures, and performances. Others will allow participants to take part in critical dialogues. The month-long series begins January 16.

See a list of events at http://www.uab.edu/dei/cace/communitymonth.

Cultural Lens

Cultural Lens: Film & Speaker Series introduces films, scholars, authors, artists, and activists to campus to address various topics and how those topics are being defined and portrayed through the media. Using these illustrations, we aim to explore and drive discussion on the film’s accuracy, while addressing legitimized myths and barriers along the road to finding common ground. Each semester, ODEI will host these screening events and facilitate conversations following the selected film. Panelists will discuss reflections and encourage a larger conversation through audience participation. Co-Sponsors are UAB Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs and Student Involvement.

See upcoming events at https://www.uab.edu/dei/cace/initiatives/cultural-lens.