The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is launching the Optimal College Town Assessment (OCTA) to better understand the relationship between Illinois State University and the Bloomington-Normal community. All members of the Illinois State campus and Bloomington-Normal community are invited to complete the survey to share their unique experiences and perspectives.
“The OCTA will provide valuable insight into perceptions of campus-community relations that will assist the University as we work to strengthen our role as an anchor institution,” said CCE director, Dr. Katy Strzepek. “The data will also inform the University’s next application for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, contribute to the strategic planning process, and be valuable to the municipalities, among many other things.”
Questions in the OCTA survey assess perceptions of how the University’s goals overlap with Bloomington-Normal community goals, the accessibility of Illinois State resources to Bloomington-Normal community members, and the impact of the University on the local economy, community organizations, and more.
The survey results will help Illinois State University embody its core value of civic engagement, characterize the “town-gown” relationship between the University and Bloomington-Normal, and contribute to strengthening Illinois State’s community engagement infrastructure.
Current students, employees, alumni, Board of Trustee members, and community members can take the survey online until November 17. Participation is estimated to take approximately 10 minutes. Upon completing the survey, respondents can enter a drawing to win one of 75 $10 Starbucks gift cards.
Take the survey here by November 17 to share your insight and be entered to win a Starbucks gift card. Questions can be emailed to Dr. Rachel Waring-Sparks, CCE assistant director of assessment, at raspar1@ilstu.edu.
