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Welcome to the first issue of the UNCG: News from the Network! This month we are featuring stories of what your Centers are doing to manage in these tough times. Please see the Events section for information on two conferences this summer, where UNCG will be hosting small get-togethers for members. We also want to share a recent paper that discusses how universities in the 21st century are engaging with their surrounding communities.
Next month, we want to hear from you about what new projects are on the horizon for your Centers. We will continue to provide topics for each month's News from the Network, but please share with us what kinds of items you would like to hear about from your fellow Members.
- PCI, Secretariat for the University Network for Collaborative Governance
This month we asked you to tell us what your Center is doing to manage in these tough times. Also, in cruising around on the web, we unearthed some information that may be helpful in planning your organizational survival strategy. Here are some things to think about.
We heard that some of you have experienced greater impacts from the downturn in state budgets than others. Some have developed focused and concrete plans for dealing with the cutbacks and finding new sources of support. Others reported on ways they are working to strengthen their Center’s role in the university and demonstrate their value. Still others described efforts to develop new partnerships and projects.
Read more of this story. . . .
We will host UNCG meetings as part of each conference. Please watch the May UNCG: News from the Network for details on the UNCG events.
Managing Climate Change through Collaborative Governance: Addressing Policy Challenges Globally and Locally
June 11 – 13, 2009 in Denver, Colorado at the University of Denver
Early registration deadline May 18, 2009.
The Conference seeks to bring together individuals in the fields of environmental conflict resolution, collaborative decision-making, and deliberative democracy, with business, public/non-profit, scientists, and public officials from all levels of government to:
Share knowledge of current tools for effective conflict management and collaborative decision-making around environmental and public policy issues;
Explore innovative strategies and practices for resolving complex policy disputes and promoting collaborative decision-making; and
Develop a foundation for future efforts to apply dispute resolution and collaborative approaches to the management of climate change issues.
Co-sponsored by The Democracy Imperative and The Deliberative Democracy Consortium
July 8-11 in Durham, New Hampshire at the University of New Hampshire
Full Conference Registration is $250.00 through April 30. After April 30, Late Registration is $300.00
Deliberative democracy has reached a critical point in its development. Over the last fifteen years, shifts in citizen capacities and attitudes have led to a dramatic proliferation of citizen participation and deliberative practices, and in 2008 they helped to produce an historic presidential election. On the heels of these changes, new opportunities for educators and practitioners are emerging in communities, in government, and on campuses. The primary goal of No Better Time is to take stock of these developments and to consider future directions for educators and practitioners in teaching, research, and in citizen-centered initiatives.
Register for the conference.
The attached article provides an overview of the university's role (particularly those that are land grant institutions) in "deepen[ing] political democracy and strengthen civic life in the nation." In addition, the authors raise the question of how universities and colleges can develop and further those early goals of the land grant institutions with our 21st Century vision of civic engagement, even in times of fiscal uncertainty.
Read The Next Wave: Building University Engagement For The 21st Century (264KB PDF).