CUMU HUDDLES

CUMU Huddles are informal, online learning communities for individuals from across the CUMU network to connect, learn, and collaborate around shared challenges and common goals. You can sign up for a CUMU Huddle at any time during the year.

2027 Huddles

Opening soon:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Coordinating Community Engagement
  • Better Higher Ed Workplaces
  • Provosts and Chief Academic Officers

2026 Huddles

Adult Learners Huddle

Campuses are increasingly turning to the large and growing population of adult learners to meet enrollment goals. However, traditional approaches to student support are not necessarily well-suited to the adult learners we seek to serve. How are units across campus adapting their current practices to better serve student parents, veterans, justice-impacted students, older adults and other groups of adult learners? What innovations will help us meet the unique challenges posed by adult learners? This Huddle is open to anyone on a CUMU member campus that wants to empower students and promote social and economic mobility. No matter your role on your campus, please join us as we explore this broad and timely topic via group discussions, guest speakers, article reviews and case study analysis.

This Huddle begins in February 2026. Dates and times are subject to change.

  • Thursday, February 5, 1 p.m. ET: Who is an adult learner?
  • Thursday, March 5, 1 p.m. ET: Justice-Impacted Students, Austin Galy, University of San Diego
  • Thursday, April 16, 1 p.m. ET: Mid-career professionals and some college-no degree students, Tina Root, Dallas College
  • Thursday, June 11, 1 p.m. ET
  • Thursday, July 16, 1 p.m. ET

Elliott Maude has worked in higher education student support for nearly two decades, for the last eight years of which he has been supporting adult learners in graduate and undergraduate programs through California State University, Northridge’s College of Extended Learning (“The Tseng College”). He is currently a program manager in the Tseng College, overseeing one of the College’s largest graduate programs by total student enrollment, the Master of Public Administration program, as well as a bachelor’s completion and other programs. Some of the successful student support initiatives Elliott has been involved in were the creation of a food closet for food-insecure students, early retention alert system implementations to identify academically at-risk students, and successful advocacy for a formal Tseng College student writing support arrangement with the University Library’s Learning Resource Center. To answer your question: No, no one has ever said, “E.T. phone home” to him.

Elliott Maude
HUDDLE LEAD: Elliott Maude, California State University, Northridge

Community Engagement Data Huddle

Are you looking to find a way to collect, evaluate and measure community engagement data on your campus? Seeking to understand community engagement data — what we are accomplishing and holding ourselves accountable for doing what we intend to do — can be an opportunity to build self-knowledge, improve practice and dialogue with internal and external partners. It can also satisfy multiple reporting requirements and help make the case to our institutions for continued support. Documenting our stories can draw in new partners, connect people across projects and inform larger movements for community engagement and social change. However, evaluation comes with many challenges, such as the different data demands of stakeholders and scarcity of time and resources. This CUMU Huddle explores best practices and next practices in evaluating and documenting community-campus partnerships. We include opportunities to share successes and struggles across our institutions and bring in speakers who are exploring the frontiers of this work. Our agenda is guided by the interests of those who participate. Join us!

This Huddle begins in April 2026. Dates and times are subject to change.

  • Tuesday, April 7, 12 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, May 5, 12 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, June 16, 12 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, August 4, 12 p.m. ET
  • Tuesday, September 1, 12 p.m. ET

Rita Patel Eng, Ed.D. is director of community engagement and social impact at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, supporting the day-to-day operations of the Center for Community Engagement and Social Impact (CCESI). She also provides strategic leadership and planning, program and policy development, and compliance assessment for CCESI. Rita is a proud Golden Ram and holds a doctoral degree in policy, planning, and administration in higher education and a Certificate in Higher Education and Student Affairs Policy (HEPSA) from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She received her MS in technological systems management and BS in biology and secondary science teaching certification at Stony Brook University in New York. Rita has been involved in K-16 education for over 30 years. Her career includes time at Immaculata University, teaching FYE which integrated service learning through the Chester County Food Bank and the College of New Jersey, managing several grant-funded projects. Rita joined WCU in 2016 and has worked in various student support roles on campus working with undergraduate and graduate student populations, faculty, and staff and campus partners to coordinate student success initiatives.

Rita Patel Eng
HUDDLE LEAD: Rita Patel Eng, West Chester University

Partnerships Huddle

Mutually beneficial partnerships are a cornerstone of community engagement and anchor mission work, yet few dedicated spaces exist in higher education to learn how to cultivate such partnerships with external organizations. This Huddle explores research, strategies and practices that strengthen partnerships with community organizations, schools, government and industry to achieve measurable outcomes and systems change. Each meeting features brief insights from an invited guest, followed by time for Huddle participants to connect with others doing similar work through discussion and sharing of successes and challenges. Join this community of practice to deepen your understanding and expand your capacity to build partnerships that advance both institutional and community goals.

This Huddle begins in January 2026 and meets on the last Tuesday of the month.

  • Tuesday, January 27, 12 p.m. ET
    Through their eyes: Community leaders’ perceptions of partnership: How do community leaders perceive university partnerships and what do these perceptions reveal about opportunities for improvement and advancement?
  • Tuesday, February 24, 12 p.m. ET
    The language of trust: Navigating communication, conflict and power in partnerships: What practices strengthen university-community relationships?
  • Tuesday, March 31, 12 p.m. ET
    Building partnerships on reciprocity, mutual benefit, and assets: What practices and policies ensure balanced partnerships?
  • Tuesday, April 28, 12 p.m. ET
    Defining the role: What makes a community-engaged professional? What core competencies and disposition are essential for an effective community-engaged professional and how can institutions support their development?
  • Tuesday, June 9, 12 p.m. ET
    Aligning local context with faculty expertise and institutional mission: How can universities overcome differing organizational and community cultures to create impactful partnerships?

DeShawn Chapman, Ed.D. is manager of community engagement and partnerships in the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE) at the University of Central Florida. In this role, she works in conjunction with executive leadership to develop and implement the college’s strategy for community organizing, engagement and programmatic planning. DeShawn serves as the primary ambassador for the college at professional meetings, conferences and events and identifies opportunities for CCIE to cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships.

DeShawn Chapman
HUDDLE LEAD: DeShawn Chapman, University of Central Florida

Provosts / Chief Academic Officers Huddle

If you are a provost or chief academic officer at a CUMU member institution, you are invited to this Huddle for the 2025–2026 academic year. Topics for the meetings are focused on current challenges provosts are facing including community-engaged teaching and research, internationalization efforts, AI, effective communications and change management. Join us for five virtual meetings and one in-person networking session at the CUMU Conference in Baltimore to connect with others from our network, share what you are doing on your campus and discuss emerging issues with your peers.

This Huddle begins in September 2025 and meets through May 2026. Dates and times subject to change.

  • Thursday, September 25, 2 p.m. ET
    Launching the new academic year:     What does effective leadership look like in times of uncertainty
  • Tuesday, October 28, 3:30 p.m. ET
    Provosts and chief academic officers who will be at the CUMU Conference are invited to join us for a closed session facilitated by Melanie Perreault, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Towson University
  • Thursday, November 13, 2025, 2 p.m. ET
    Building leadership capacity in academic affairs:     How do we build our leadership bench at our own institution?
  • Thursday, January 22, 2 p.m. ET
    Best practices in student success
  • Thursday, February 19, 2 p.m. ET
    Taking time for yourself as provost:     How do we build an empowering professional development pathway for ourselves?
  • Thursday, March 26, 2 p.m. ET
    Best practices in faculty development

Sandra Richtermeyer is executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Rutgers University–Camden where she oversees the development and implementation of academic programs. She serves as the top advisor to Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis on academic matters and works in conjunction with the deans to enhance the academic and research reputations of Rutgers–Camden. Richtermeyer brings more than 25 years of higher education experience and more than 12 years in academic leadership in her new role. Prior to joining Rutgers–Camden, Richtermeyer served as the dean of the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Sandra Richtermeyer
HUDDLE LEAD: Sandra Richtermeyer, Rutgers University–Camden

2026 Huddles

HUDDLE LEAD: Elliott Maude, California State University, Northridge

Campuses are increasingly turning to the large and growing population of adult learners to meet enrollment goals. However, traditional approaches to student support are not necessarily well-suited to the adult learners we seek to serve. How are units across campus adapting their current practices to better serve student parents, veterans, justice-impacted students, older adults and other groups of adult learners? What innovations will help us meet the unique challenges posed by adult learners? This Huddle is open to anyone on a CUMU member campus that wants to empower students and promote social and economic mobility. No matter your role on your campus, please join us as we explore this broad and timely topic via group discussions, guest speakers, article reviews and case study analysis.

HUDDLE LEAD: Rita Patel Eng, West Chester University

Are you looking to find a way to collect, evaluate and measure community engagement data on your campus? Seeking to understand community engagement data — what we are accomplishing and holding ourselves accountable for doing what we intend to do — can be an opportunity to build self-knowledge, improve practice and dialogue with internal and external partners. It can also satisfy multiple reporting requirements and help make the case to our institutions for continued support. Documenting our stories can draw in new partners, connect people across projects and inform larger movements for community engagement and social change. However, evaluation comes with many challenges, such as the different data demands of stakeholders and scarcity of time and resources. This CUMU Huddle explores best practices and next practices in evaluating and documenting community-campus partnerships. We include opportunities to share successes and struggles across our institutions and bring in speakers who are exploring the frontiers of this work. Our agenda is guided by the interests of those who participate.

HUDDLE LEAD: DeShawn Chapman, University of Central Florida

Mutually beneficial partnerships are a cornerstone of community engagement and anchor mission work, yet few dedicated spaces exist in higher education to learn how to cultivate such partnerships with external organizations. This Huddle explores research, strategies and practices that strengthen partnerships with community organizations, schools, government and industry to achieve measurable outcomes and systems change. Each meeting features brief insights from an invited guest, followed by time for Huddle participants to connect with others doing similar work through discussion and sharing of successes and challenges. Join this community of practice to deepen your understanding and expand your capacity to build partnerships that advance both institutional and community goals.

HUDDLE LEADS: Sandra Richtermeyer, Rutgers University–Camden

Topics for the meetings are focused on current challenges provosts are facing including community-engaged teaching and research, internationalization efforts, AI, effective communications and change management. Join us for five virtual meetings and one in-person networking session at the CUMU Conference in Baltimore to connect with others from our network, share what you are doing on your campus and discuss emerging issues with your peers.

2025 Huddles

HUDDLE LEAD: Jeremy Price, associate professor of technology, innovation, and pedagogy, Indiana University Indianapolis.

What infrastructures are necessary to grow, support, and sustain community-engaged research efforts? While building infrastructure often involves capacity development, it also requires the design and implementation of systems and norms that place people and communities at the center. Through collaborative discussion and problem-solving, this Huddle explores key frameworks and ideas within the context of participants’ community-engaged research projects, campuses, and communities. Topics may include metrics for community-engaged research, tenure and promotion, supporting researcher networks across scales, building systems for shared knowledge and resources, and frameworks for institutionalizing community engagement. Faculty, staff, graduate students, and anyone interested in or working on community-engaged research are welcome to join.

HUDDLE LEAD: Cynthia Carmina Gómez, director of community impact, Portland State University

Latine student enrollment in colleges and universities is increasing, prompting institutions to explore new ways to support this growing community. How are institutional practices adapting to serve Latine students and contribute to economic prosperity in urban ecosystems? What effects do campuses experience when they cultivate Latine academic success, co-curricular engagement, and a sense of community belonging? Success in supporting a specific demographic group, such as Latine scholars, generates positive outcomes that enhance the experience for all students. Participants will hear from students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community leaders, engage in meaningful discussions, and develop a toolkit to support our collective efforts.

HUDDLE LEAD: Justin L. Roberts, associate vice chancellor for marketing and communications, University of Missouri-Saint Louis.

Even the most impactful work happening on our campuses can go unnoticed unless we intentionally align communications with strategic priorities and collaborate with communication professionals on our campus. This Huddle aims to equip professionals from across campus to share their stories and amplify their impact. We will explore topics such as crafting compelling narratives, engaging with journalists and media outlets, using digital platforms to expand your reach, deciding on tools and metrics for assessing the impact of communication efforts, and sharing stories of belonging, equity, and inclusion in ways that connect with diverse audiences. Join us in these sessions to share your experiences, learn new strategies, and highlight the impactful work happening on your campus.

HUDDLE LEADS: Caroline Burkholder, senior sustainability manager, Temple University, and Ruthie Yow, associate director, Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education, Georgia Tech

How do sustainability efforts and the anchor mission work together and reinforce institutional goals in higher education? Participants explore a variety of lenses for thinking about sustainability efforts and long-term regional impact. Guest conversation partners join each interactive session to introduce topics such as institutional data reporting, campus initiatives, community-based research, and regional collaboratives. Throughout the meetings, the group focuses on approaching challenges collaboratively and with an open mind, co-creating a vision, unique to each university context, of a sustainable, just future supported by sustainable anchor campuses. We welcome colleagues who work in sustainability or on anchor initiatives on their own campus as well as anyone who would like to learn more about these topics. This Huddle is co-hosted by AASHE.

2024 Huddles

HUDDLE LEAD: Bill Cook, director, Office of Community Development, Weber State University

Institutions committed to an anchor mission intentionally apply their economic power and human capital in a long-term partnership with their local communities to improve mutual well-being. The Anchor Mission Huddle is open to individuals from CUMU member institutions working to sustain and/or expand anchor initiatives on their campus. Participants meet monthly to a) explore how higher education institutions effectively implement strategic anchor initiatives by addressing a series of conundrums or difficult questions, and b) to build a community of colleagues across the CUMU network.

HUDDLE LEAD: Henry R. Cunningham, director of community engagement, University of Louisville

Professionals engaged in any aspect of community engagement are invited to be part of the Community Engagement Huddle to explore key issues in community engagement, learn how others are effectively navigating those issues, and discuss our own challenges and successes. As part of our efforts to gain a better understanding of community engagement, this Huddle focuses on topics such as developing and sustaining partnerships from a multidisciplinary perspective, the institutionalization of engagement, and the impact of engagement on various stakeholders and constituents in community engaged work. In addition, as scholar-administrators we will discuss how to write about our work for publication and why that is important for the field.

HUDDLE LEAD: Brian Sturdivant, director of strategic initiatives and community partnerships, University of Maryland Baltimore

The K-12 Partnership Huddle explores how to form and maintain mutually beneficial K-12 partnerships. From initiating partnerships to building on existing successes, how do universities ensure close ties with surrounding K-12 schools? Together, we explore a wide range of partnership types with a variety of purposes. Meetings include a short presentation by an invited guest and then Huddle participants have opportunities to ask questions, share successes, and connect with others doing similar work.

HUDDLE LEAD: Michelle Meggs, executive director, Women + Girls Research Alliance, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

How do we know that our efforts with and within communities are having the impact we intend? In the Impact Huddle, guest presenters explore topics including research methodology, campus and system-wide approaches to tracking and assessing impact; program evaluation; data utilization to shape policy and practice; and novel or effective communication techniques for telling the story. Participants have opportunities to learn from and interact with guest presenters and with each other as we explore how to measure and communicate impact in our own settings.

2023 Huddles

HUDDLE LEAD: Viridiana Diaz, vice president for student affairs, Cal State San Marcos

Higher education continues to be the strongest avenue for upward social and economic mobility and, as CUMU institutions, we have a unique and significant role to play in serving diverse students and helping them succeed across the graduation finish line. With COVID-19 and its many interconnected impacts continuing to place barriers in front of students, how are we rethinking our services, programs and other student-facing processes with fresh eyes and a student-ready perspective? And how are these efforts increasing our students’ capacity to transcend barriers faced by earlier generations and unlock their potential for lifelong success?

HUDDLE LEAD: Jennifer Kebea, president, Campus Philly

CUMU members are examining their role as job creators to fill their own vacancies and needs, but also to support regional and industry demands. How is higher education responding to and leading the way to reimagine how we educate, train, and prepare the employees and leaders needed for tomorrow? How are we partnering with cities to attract and retain our students in the cities we call home? This CUMU Huddle will explore how our members are addressing pressing human capital demands, leading workforce development recovery in justice-oriented ways, and employing innovative local hiring strategies—all while grappling with the “Great Resignation” in their communities and on their campuses.

HUDDLE LEAD: Amber Gonzalez, associate professor, child and adolescent development, Sacramento State

Hispanic students are entering the nation’s colleges and universities at increasing rates, influencing the growth in the number of institutions eligible for federal designation as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). As more of our campuses are achieving this designation and serving a more diverse student body than ever before, how do our practices align with the needs of our students? This CUMU Huddle is intended for higher education professionals from current and emerging HSIs seeking to deepen their understanding of Hispanic servingness.

HUDDLE LEAD: Emily Janke, director, Institute for Community and Economic Engagement, UNC Greensboro

Understanding, Improving, and Sharing Our Work for Change: In this CUMU Huddle, we will explore best practices and next practices across a broad array of evaluation practices, broadly defined. We will explore the role of evaluation and how scholar-administrators can use it to understand, advance, and sustain partnerships, programs, and structures to support community engagement. We will have opportunities to share successes and struggles across our institutions, and will bring in speakers who are exploring the frontiers of this work.

2022 Huddles

HUDDLE LEAD: Paul Kuttner, associate director, University Neighborhood Partners, University of Utah

Evaluation—seeking to understand what we are accomplishing and holding ourselves accountable for doing what we intend to do—can be a powerful learning process. It can be a chance to build self-knowledge, improve practice, and dialogue with partners. It can also satisfy funding requirements and help make the case to our institutions for continued support. Documenting and telling our stories can draw in new partners, connect people across projects, and inform larger movements for community engagement and social change.

However, evaluation comes with many challenges, such as the different data demands of stakeholders and scarcity of time and resources. More fundamentally, Western, neoliberal frameworks for quantifying “outcomes” and “impact” are often at odds with the complex, relational, humanistic, and transformative nature of partnership work. In this CUMU Huddle, we will explore best practices and next practices in evaluating and documenting community-campus partnerships. We will have opportunities to share successes and struggles across our institutions, and will bring in speakers who are exploring the frontiers of this work. Our agenda will be guided by the interests of those who participate. Join us!

HUDDLE LEAD: Crystal Montalvo, College of Staten Island, CUNY

New and aspiring HSI’s often work on becoming an HSI in status and practice through asset-based and participatory frames; placing students and the communities they come from at the center of our efforts. Community engagement professionals have a critical role to play, and a unique expertise that could serve the asset-based and participatory goals of this institutional transition from PWI to HSI. Moreover, as we partner with our surrounding communities in reciprocal and asset-based ways, what would it mean if our HSI status was an intentional pillar of our community engagement, and existing place-based and anchor mission initiatives?

This CUMU Huddle is intended for community engagement professionals seeking to share their stories, and explore the complexities, challenges, and opportunities presented for our PWIs in transition

HUDDLE LEAD: Jacen Greene, co-founder and assistant director, Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, Portland State University

Homelessness and housing insecurity are pressing issues not just in our broader community, but also in our campus communities as well. National estimates by The Hope Center at Temple University show that 14% of college and university students recently experienced homelessness, and nearly half experienced housing insecurity. In a multi-institution survey, The Hope Center also found that 8% of instructional staff had experienced homelessness, and a third had experienced housing insecurity. Nationwide, more than 580,000 people experience homelessness on any given night. Among students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader community, homelessness disproportionately impacts people of color and other groups most affected by historical and current marginalization and discrimination.

This group brings together faculty, staff, and administrators from across the CUMU network to share resources and best practices, discuss promising new approaches, and develop research projects to better understand and address homelessness and housing insecurity among students, employees, and the broader community.

HUDDLE LEAD: John Kirby Jr, executive director, Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, Drexel University

Place-based Community Engagement Professionals (CEPs) who are leading neighborhood-embedded engagement-initiatives will find like-minded people and voices at the Hyperlocal Directors Huddle. This CUMU Huddle will not only center shared experiences unique to directors and other CEPs, but will also ground efforts in equity and social justice, relationship building, operations and procedures, strengths-based approaches, and more, with the hope of uncovering how the group’s hyperlocal community engagements contribute to transformative outcomes. How are we making a difference?