Our Mission

The SUNY Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) center promotes campus and community collaboration in the areas of civic engagement, sustainability, service learning, and community-based research.

Civic engagement involves the development and application of knowledge and skills through political and non-political processes by active citizens contributing to community and civic life.

Sustainability addresses how best to mitigate the ecological impact of our growth, activities and services across our campus, our community, our nation, and our world while improving on environmental performance and solutions.

Service learning integrates course instruction with community service to encourage civic learning and responsibility, to enrich academic inquiry, and as a bridge between campus and community.

Community-based research involves faculty research and collaboration with regard to identified community needs and expertise, facilitating results and relevance as part of a campus community partnership.

We believe that these objectives are interconnected yet important initiatives in their own right in which specific solutions are attached to broader concerns. Sustainable growth requires engaged citizens while sustainable goals stimulate civic engagement. Civic projects, environmental activities, economic, cultural, and social concerns in the surrounding area provide numerous service learning and research opportunities. Faculty, student, and community collaboration across college courses and the region will play a key role in dynamic civic engagement, sustainable ideas and community-based research efforts.

As each aspect of FACE develops, it strengthens the center’s overarching mission to facilitate related programs, activities, discussion, and visibility. We continue to seek new and innovative campus community connections, and are confident that this FACE of SUNY will help meet unique opportunities and challenges across our campus community and region. We welcome your contribution and participation in this effort. Please contact our FACE staff with any questions or input.