Continuum of Engaged Scholarship

Engaged scholarship is defined as scholarship resulting from the collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership between university member(s) (i.e. faculty, staff, and/or student) and external non-higher education partner(s). Engaged scholarship is typically created and communicated through any of the following activities: discovery of new knowledge, development of new knowledge, dissemination of new knowledge, change in learning, change in behavior and/or change in conditions (Franz, 2009). 

Scholarship “is creative intellectual work that is validated by peers and communicated” (Weiser & Houglum, 1998) to the larger world. Scholarship includes teaching formally and non-formally (credit and non-credit), conducting research, writing scholarly publications, delivering presentations, creating curricula, obtaining grants creating art, and producing artistic performances. 

Engagement is to collaborate and co-create with external partners (individuals, groups, communities, businesses, etc.) through research/creative activity, and teaching. A fundamental key to engaged scholarship through teaching and research is learner assessment.

MSU has identified the faculty scholarship of engagement in the context of the Continuum of Engaged Scholarship Model (adapted and modified from Colorado State University) for engaged teaching, research and service. This model listed below identifies how faculty and staff can conduct to support the engagement work and assessment across research, teaching, and service. As noted, this continuum easily identifies the difference between engagement. It provides faculty and staff with the “how to” conduct outreach an engagement using various research and teaching methods.