Overview
The Scholars-in-Residence is a faculty or staff appointment available exclusively to individuals at CEA member campuses. Scholar(s) will lead the development of the first-ever Campus Civic Health Report, a comprehensive, data-informed analysis of civic engagement practices across Indiana colleges and universities.
This appointment offers a rare opportunity to conduct highly relevant research into the impact of higher education’s impact on civic engagement through access to a robust, multi-dimensional dataset that includes:
- NSSE & FSSE Civic Engagement Modules
- Early Results from CEA’s Community Perception Survey
- CEA grant reports
- Professional development evaluations
- Additional CEA assessment tools and campus engagement data
To help applicants understand the scope and type of evidence available, CEA will provide a sample data packet (found below) featuring a redacted grant report, a redacted Community Perception Survey report, and an anonymized evaluation of a CEA professional development event.
Why This Role Matters
Civic engagement is central to higher education’s public mission. Beyond preparing students for employment, colleges and universities help cultivate the knowledge, skills, and habits required to sustain a healthy, durable democracy.
Yet these outcomes are hard to measure in ways that are meaningful, actionable, and rooted in perspectives both within and outside of higher education. The Scholar-in-Residence will play a pivotal role in filling that gap by producing a report that:
- Benchmarks civic engagement efforts across institutions
- Identifies patterns, best practices, and persistent challenges
- Provides recommendations for campuses to strengthen partnerships and outcomes
- Informs CEA strategy and statewide policy conversations
Eligibility & Additional Details
This appointment is open to individual faculty members (of any rank or discipline), individual staff members, or project teams from any CEA member campus. CEA will select one application, either an individual or a project team, to serve as the Scholar(s)-in Residence. We will not combine multiple individual applications into a cohort. Whether led by a single scholar or a collaborative group the selected applicants(s) will receive a $7,000 award to support their work over the one-year appointment. Ideal candidates/teams will bring:
- Strong research and analytical skills
- Experience in civic engagement initiatives in higher education
- Familiarity with survey tools, institutional data, and competency in both quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Skill in data visualization and public scholarship.
Collaborative teams should demonstrate a clear structure for shared responsibilities and cohesive project management. CEA encourages interdisciplinary approaches that draw on multiple areas of expertise across civic engagement, assessment, and higher education research.
Expectations
- Production of a publishable Campus Civic Health Report.
- Presentation of the Campus Civic Health Report to the CEA network.
- Collaboration with CEA staff on data access, ethics, and dissemination
- Monthly calls with CEA to provide progress updates and consult on ongoing CEA projects and initiatives.
Launching Soon!
The Scholar-in-Residence will officially launch in spring 2026, with a request for proposals being released in late 2025. Stay tuned for updates and more details.