Key Terms and Values

Our key values are deeply important to how and why we do the work we do. These values are embeded across all CESI's programs and are rooted in our strategic direction. 

Our work will be transformational rather than transactional. Our collaborative work seeks to create positive social change and work toward social justice.

We believe that scholarship is a public service. All our research outputs freely available to the public.

We will work to increase the range and impact of community-engaged scholarship in our communities, and to address systemic barriers to these practices (e.g. funding restrictions, organizational challenges).

We recognize that relationships are at the heart of all successful engagement. We will work to build and maintain relationships of trust and mutuality with our collaborators.

Explore some of our key terms below:

  1. What is 'community engagement'?
  2. How is engagement different from 'outreach'?
  3. What makes an activity 'scholarship'?
  4. What is 'community-engaged scholarship'?
  5. What is 'critical community-engaged scholarship'?
  6. How is community-engaged scholarship different than 'service'?
  7. What is 'evidence' and what is 'documentation'?
  8. What is 'community-based research' (CBR)?
  9. What are the characteristics of quality community-engaged scholarship?
  10. What is 'knowledge mobilization' (KMb)?
  11. What is community engaged teaching and learning (CETL)?
  12. What is public innovation?
  13. How can I document community-engaged scholarship in a dossier?