Unpacking the Compact: Exploring Community Engagement as a Community of Practice

Historically, Campus Compact elevates civic engagement and facilitates community engagement across member institutions, yet when Utah Campus Compact (UCC) lost funding in 2018, institutions were left to develop their own capacity for collaboration and networking. Conceptualizing the work of this network of community engagement professionals as a community of practice provides a unique opportunity to facilitate community engagement work across institutions of higher education absent Utah Campus Compact as a convening body. As such, a qualitative study was conducted to interview 11 community engagement administrators across institutions of higher education in Utah to explore strategies for moving forward. Reframing their network within a community of practice, can add legitimacy to their efforts. The most transformative learning experiences can be gained through learning from fellow practitioners and the benefits they bring to a practice.