Keynote speakers announced

ACU Engagement and DePaul University are excited to announce the keynote presenters for the 2021 ACU and DePaul University Online Conference on Community Engagement and Service-Learning – Pandemic, Pivots and Potentials.

The 2021 conference aims to explore the current state of play for universities in responding to the challenges and opportunities for service-learning and university-community engagement in a ‘post-COVID’ world, while taking the time to reflect on the responses and learnings from the efforts of the field during the pandemic.

Registration for the conference is free.

Read more information and register

Day one

Monday 4 October (USA) / Tuesday 5 October (AUS)

The ‘new normal’ for service-learning and community engagement in a post-COVID world

This keynote panel discussion includes prominent service-learning and community engagement academics Professor Jim Nyland (ACU/Engagement Australia), Dr Howard Rosing (DePaul), Carol-Joy Patrick (Griffith, Service-Learning Australia) and Rachel Tomas Morgan (Notre Dame, US). The panellists will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on service-learning and community engagement. They will explore the challenges, opportunities and new directions the pandemic has created for the field. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr Matthew Pink (ACU).

About the panellists

• Professor Jim Nyland: Chair of Engagement Australia and Associate Vice-Chancellor, ACU Brisbane
• Rachel Tomas Morgan: Associate Director and Assistant Professor of the Practice for International Engagement, Centre of Social Concerns, University of Notre Dame (USA)
• Carol-Joy Patrick: Service-Learning Australia and Senior Fellow, Griffith Service-Learning, Griffith University
• Dr Howard Rosing: Executive Director, Steans Center, DePaul University

Day two

Tuesday 5 October (USA) / Wednesday 6 October (AUS)

Diversity, equity and inclusion matters

Associate Professor Valerie C Johnson will deliver a keynote address on diversity, equity and inclusion with respect to service-learning.

Dr Johnson is a Presidential Diversity Fellow, Endowed Professor of Urban Diplomacy at the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, and Associate Professor, Political Science Department at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr Johnson is the former national education spokesperson for Reverend Jesse L Jackson, Sr and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and has served as a consultant for elected officials and community organisations nationwide in the US.

Day three

Wednesday 6 October (USA) / Thursday 7 October (AUS)

The Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit: A model of facilitating university-community research partnerships for the common good

This keynote panel presentation will explore the establishment of the Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit (SESU), which works to foster university and community partnered research projects for the common good. Vivien Cinque (ACU) will deliver a presentation on SESU followed by a panel discussion with Professor Sandra Jones (ACU), Netty Horton (CatholicCare) and David Stefanoff (CatholicCare). The discussion will be facilitated by Dr Jen Azordegan (ACU).

About the panellists

• Vivien Cinque: Manager, Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit, ACU
• Netty Horton: Executive Director, CatholicCare Victoria
• David Stefanoff: Finance Director, CatholicCare Sydney
• Professor Sandra Jones: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement), ACU