Cohort Programs and Student Success at MSU:
Community Engagement Scholars Program

The Michigan State University Community Engagement Scholars Program (CESP) celebrated its seventh year in 2022-2023! CESP is a partnership between the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) and the MSU Office of the President. It was established in 2016 with the main goal of connecting MSU students with community partners in the Detroit area to engage in meaningful economic and community development projects. Program staff were excited to spend time this year reflecting on the program's history, impact, and future.

During the 2016-2017 pilot year of the program, 10 MSU students were partnered with Midtown Detroit, Inc. (MDI). CESP students spent 8-10 hours a week in Detroit supporting MDI projects related to affordable housing, small business attraction and support, green space and parks, and neighborhood development. Student scholars also participated in cohort meetings and professional development led by the program director and a graduate program coordinator. These cohort sessions were designed to assure that students were learning about community engagement scholarship, community and economic development, team building, social justice, and project management. The cohort space also provided an opportunity for personal and professional development and reflective practice.

In an effort to bring together community-engaged learning and cohort programming, and to remove barriers to student participation, national service models and other community-based scholar programs were explored. The MSU Community Engagement Scholars Program was modeled after the national AmeriCorps VISTA program and the Bonner Scholar Program. In the years to follow, the program evolved to allow student scholars to be partnered with additional partners in the Detroit, Lansing, and Flint communities, like Crim Fitness Foundation (Flint); Mayor of Detroit Office; Allen Neighborhood Center (Lansing); and Refugee Development Center (Lansing).

Since CESP's inception, a level of formal program assessment has occurred. From 2020-present, the program has had standardized assessment points revolving around understanding “Belonging and Community,” “Professional Development and Individual Values Development,” and “Social, Civic, and Political Engagement.” Over the years, the majority of respondents agreed with all statements regarding belonging, support, and engagement in the cohort. CESP creates space for reflective learning and discussion of values. Central to the scholars program have been professional development workshops and skills development revolving around communicating community engagement experiences in resumes and cover letters, developing empowerment perspectives, and well-being/boundary-setting. Responses to the surveys indicate positive experiences in regard to social, civic, and political engagement experiences and attitudes, reflecting respondents' motivation to work for the betterment of communities and to engage with political processes in the future.

While the original goals of the CESP experience were to connect MSU students with community partners in the Detroit area in order to engage in meaningful economic and community development projects, the goals and impact of the program have since expanded to include the development of students' sense of belonging, personal and professional development, as well as the promotion of social, civic, and political engagement. CESP has expanded its geographical impact with a broader range of community partners and has had a meaningful impact on student participants' overall success. The cohort approach to CESP is an important factor in the success of the student experience.

Moving forward, CESP facilitators will work to deepen and nuance the program's focus on social justice. CESP will focus on a scaffolded experience for scholars who apply and are chosen to continue their participation for multiple program years. Finally, CESP hopes to increase funding in order to expand the program to 100 student scholars, 10 graduate student coordinators, a dedicated program director, and five communities (50-75 community partners). The impact that the CESP model has on students and communities is significant, and we hope to increase access and reach for all participants.