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Raritan Valley Community College is one of six teams comprising seven U.S. colleges and universities across the country—and the only community college—to be selected by Compact Campus to participate in the first Newman Civic Fellowship Innovation Cohort.

The program, which aims to help enhance the organization’s Newman Civic Fellowship program and promote student civic development, is supported through a partnership with Lumina Foundation. Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to pursuing the public purposes of higher education.

RVCC will join in implementing the program with six other institutions across the country, including Colorado College, Spelman College, University of North Florida, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University.

The new project is being coordinated through the College’s nationally recognized Service Learning Program, which enables students to use community service as part of their academic coursework and to receive credit.  

Each college team will lead individual work on its campus, pursuing strategic goals in such areas as: improving access for historically underrepresented students, developing student professional development opportunities, improving mentoring processes, and generally raising awareness of the Newman Civic Fellowship and the impact of student changemakers in local communities. In addition, all grantees will participate as a member of a nationwide cohort that will collaborate to deepen student civic leadership development across higher education.

“RVCC’s model of the Newman Civic Fellowship innovation project seeks to provide students with a community-based learning experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Students will address important community issues and advocate for social change with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, while helping them prepare for future careers. The community will benefit from students who are passionate about their projects, contribute to the organization's goals, and generate fresh ideas and talent,” said Lori Moog, Director of Service Learning and Community Outreach.

The RVCC student selected for the Newman Civic Fellowship program will be provided with additional funding from the new Pray Family Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at RVCC. The collective support will be used to create greater recognition and exposure for the achievements and impact of RVCC students participating in the Newman Civic Fellowship supported by the Center.  

About Campus Compact

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit compact.org.

About RVCC

Ranked by WalletHub.com and Intelligent.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to  a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 29, 2023

Media contacts: Donna Stolzer (RVCC), 908-526-1200, ext. 8383; Molly Leiper (Campus Compact), mleiper@compact.org

PR #42