Center for Community Solutions (CCS)
Center for Community Solutions
Contact Center for Community Solutions (CCS)Center for Community Solutions (CCS)
Address:
1160 McDermott Drive
West Chester PA, 19380
Susan Argentieri
610-425-7431
SArgentieri@wcupa.edu
"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
Contact Information
To learn more about the CCS and how West Chester University can work together with your organization, contact:
- Susan Argentieri, CCS Liaison
- 610-425-7431
- University Affairs
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
Our clients include:
- Businesses and corporations
- Nonprofit organizations
- Educational institutions
- Government agencies
- Municipal governments
We provide these services by:
- Partnering with the Deans of the Colleges and Administration
- Partnering with the Office of Service Learning and Volunteer Programs
- Partnering with the Dr. Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center
- Engaging students
Examples of services provided are:
- Surveys
- Economic development and impact studies
- Consultation
- Transportation solutions
- Translation services
- GIS services
- Community health initiatives
- Web site development
- Strategic planning and development
- Small course design services
Community Engagements
