Center for Community Solutions (CCS)

"If you have a university in your community, the first question you should be asking when a problem surfaces is, 
I wonder how our university can help us." 
— Michael G. Gartner, Keynote Speaker, International Town and Gown Association's Annual Conference

In 2013, West Chester University announced its plan for the next decade in a document entitled, "Building on Excellence," to strengthen campus understanding of the meaning and value of external engagement and its impact on student learning and academic excellence. The Center for Community Solutions (CCS) is a community-university partnership and has been created to formally expand upon the positive impact the university has already had in the community. These collaborations will extend the University's impact within its home region, attract new resources to advance learning and community well-being, and focus on the pursuit of the public good.

Our mission is:

• To facilitate university and community connections as a single point of contact
• To connect campus resources with community needs
• To promote the professional expertise of our faculty and staff to external clients as requested across a range of business areas and topics
• To provide opportunities for students to develop and apply their problem solving skills while enhancing their educational experience

The specific objectives that follow from our mission are:

• To promote the university's faculty, staff, and student capabilities to the community-at-large
• To establish an Advisory Board of local community partners to guide the Center's growth
• To match faculty and students with community needs based upon appropriate vetting of requests from CCS staff and Steering Committee