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Campus Compact

About Us

Dear Friend:

Welcome to the Montana Campus Compact website. We are delighted to provide this resource for you to learn more about our programs and initiatives. The Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) is an organization committed to fostering a renewed vision for higher education, one that supports civic engagement through community service and volunteerism.

MTCC is a coalition of Montana college and university presidents, chancellors, and deans committed to the civic purposes of higher education. Our Board of Directors believes that by creating a supportive campus environment for involvement in community service, colleges and universities can best prepare their students to be active, committed, informed citizen leaders in their communities. To support our mission, MTCC promotes activities that:

  • Develop students' citizenship skills and values;
  • Encourage collaborative partnerships between Montana's campuses and communities; and
  • Assist faculty who seek to integrate public and community engagement into their teaching and research.

The Montana Campus Compact network office is located in Missoula. Our staff and volunteers work to provide project funding, training, technical assistance, and other resources to faculty, students, and staff members in an effort to facilitate civic engagement activities on Montana's college and university campuses.

It is our hope that this website provides information that you need, in a way that is easy for you to navigate. If you need assistance or do not find what you are looking for, please contact me directly by e-mail at mcgovern@mtcompact.org .  I also invite you to read our Member Institution Handbook and most recent Annual Report, available here as pdf documents, for more information on the Montana Campus Compact and our work.

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Our History

The Montana Campus Compact was founded in 1993 by presidents of Montana post-secondary institutions. By launching MTCC, Montana joined several other states in responding to the media portrayal of college students as materialistic and self-absorbed, more interested in making money than in helping their neighbors. The founding presidents believed this public image was false; they noted many students on their campuses who were involved in community service and believed many others would follow suit with the proper encouragement and supportive structures.

MTCC is an affiliate of Campus Compact, a national organization which was formed in 1985 by the presidents of Brown, Georgetown and Stanford Universities. Sixteen years later, with its national office located in Providence, Rhode Island, Campus Compact has network offices in 30 states and developing compacts in seven states.  Campus Compact has a rapidly growing membership of over 1000 public and private two- and four-year colleges and universities, located in 46 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, as well as one international member.  The Montana Campus Compact headquarters was established on The University of Montana campus in Missoula, where it remains today, to continue working to dispel the myth of student and faculty apathy.  MTCC currently comprises 19 member institutions.

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Who We Are

Staff Descriptions

Board of Directors
The full responsibility for The Montana Campus Compact is vested in the Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for the general direction and governance of MTCC, including formulation of all policies pertaining to membership, dues schedule, programs, budgets, and priorities. Additionally, the board conducts annual performance evaluations of the executive director. The Board of Directors is comprised of the chief executive officers (i.e., presidents, chancellors, and deans) of all member institutions throughout the state of Montana.

Dean McGovern, Executive Director

The executive director is the chief executive officer of the Montana Campus Compact, with primary attention toward member institution chief executive officers, chief academic officers, and other administrators. Additionally, the executive director is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and direction of the organization. The position has a statewide focus. As director, Dean has full responsibility for the working relationship with MTCC's Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, is the Board liaison, and is responsible for the Board's organization and development. He is responsible for the Compact's fund development and for maintaining working relationships with national and other state Compacts.

Dean received his baccalaureate degree with honors in physiology from Colorado State University. He received his master's degree in public health and his doctoral degree in higher education administration from The University of Montana. He has written numerous publications and made several professional presentations in both higher education and civic engagement. Dean is an engaged citizen of Missoula, where he volunteers in the community. To contact Dean, email mcgovern@mtcompact.org .

Josh Vanek, Network Services Director

One of the main responsibilities of Josh's position is to increase the number and improve the quality of MTCC National Service placements around Montana.  He works with the VISTA program to recruit new sites and provide technical assistance to current sites–e.g. help leading strategic planning meetings with boards, help developing training curricula for volunteer groups, help putting together reciprocal campus-community partnerships, help putting together good work plans, help developing targeted recruitment plans, etc. Josh also works with the Montana Campus Corps AmeriCorps program to help bring the value of college student AmeriCorps service to those Montana communities not currently making use of it, or that are underrepresented. In addition, he works closely with the Community Service Directors around the state to expand the AmeriCorps Education Award presence in Montana, and increase the number of formal partnerships between Compact campuses and schools, nonprofits, and government agencies. Each of these partnerships is an opportunity for Montana college students and community members to get involved in 300-, 450-, or 900-hour AmeriCorps positions. These partnerships both increase the volunteer presence in Montana’s nonprofit and education sectors and place AmeriCorps Education Award vouchers in the hands of many more Montanans to improve access to postsecondary education.

Josh received his B.A. in political science from The University of Montana in Missoula before serving in the Peace Corps in Latvia from 1997-1999. After completing his service, he returned to Missoula and joined MTCC as a VISTA Leader before assuming the responsibilities of the MTCC VISTA Program Manager in 2001 and the Network Services Director in 2005. To contact Josh, email: vanek@mtcompact.org .

Gini Aten Erving, Operations Manager

Gini is responsible for assisting the MTCC staff with day-to-day operations, including grants accounting, the processing of program member paperwork, travel arrangements, website maintenance, the creation of MTCC publications such as the annual report and member institution handbook, and logistics and planning for MTCC events.  Gini received her B.A in Women's Studies (Sociology and History focus) from Bowdoin College in Maine.  To contact Gini, email: atenerving@mtcompact.org.

Eric Cardella , Campus Corps Program Manager

Eric is a native to the Northwest and graduated from Washington State University.  He comes to MTCC from five years of service as Unit Director with the Boy & Girls Club of Charlottesville, Virginia.  Prior to that, he served as Education Director for the Salvation Army of Asheville, North Carolina.  He brings experience as an AmeriCorps member, team leader, and site supervisor to his role as Campus Corps Program Manager.  To contact Eric, email: cardella@mtcompact.org.

Cody Lillstrom , MTCC VISTA Program Manager

Cody manages the MTCC VISTA project, a program designed to expand the scope of the Montana Campus Compact's work beyond our member campuses.  He oversees proposals, recruitment, and training for campus and community-based VISTA placements, and he provides technical assistance to faculty and staff who wish to bring the MTCC VISTA project to their communities.

Cody received his B.A in English Literature with a Certificate in Technology in the Arts & Media from the University of the Colorado in 2003.  He served his first VISTA term with the UM-Helena College of Technology and United Way of Helena in 2003-2004, prior to becoming the MTCC VISTA Leader in the HQ office in 2004-2005.  Cody was hired as the Program Manager of the MTCC VISTA project in December 2005.  To contact Cody, email: lillstrom@mtcompact.org.

Graham Murtaugh , VISTA Leader (2007/2008), email: murtaugh@mtcompact.org.

Emily Clark, Campus Corps Team Leader (2007/2008), email: clark@mtcompact.org.

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What We Do

Every year The Montana Campus Compact provides financial aid and educational awards to students and faculty members performing community service activities. Through these service projects Montana Campus Compact makes an immediate impact on communities, students and institutions, and, by developing students as lifelong citizen-leaders, MTCC's work creates lasting change throughout the state of Montana.

The mission of Montana Campus Corps is to actively engage college students in meeting community identified needs through meaningful service.  The program has two equally important parts: Stipended members are part of a team-based corps that primarily focuses on extra-curricular service.  The service of Non-Stipended members is focused on addressing community needs while meeting academic goals.

 

The Montana Campus Compact supports the development of service-learning courses at colleges and universities throughout the state by providing resources through a lending library; service-learning workshops for faculty, staff, students, admininstrators, and community partners; conferences at least once a year; and some financial contributions. For six years the Compact awarded Faculty Fellowships to scholars at Compact member institutions. In fall 2000, The Montana Campus Compact awarded its first Student Fellowships . Built on the model of the successful Faculty Fellowship Program, Student Fellowships provide exceptional students with the opportunity to enhance curricular education with hands-on community service work and training in citizenship.


VISTA Members serve full-time, one-year terms at MTCC member institutions to strengthen infrastructures of service to low-income populations. Members coordinate volunteer efforts and expand the financial resources available to communities for volunteer efforts by engaging in:

    • Resource mobilization
    • Community agency coordination
    • Grant writing
    • Fundraising
    • Event planning
    • Sustainability planning

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Who We Serve

MTCC programs benefit community members such as low-income families, the elderly, at-risk youth, and migrant and minority groups. All program participants benefit - community members reap the benefits of student involvement; students learn about their communities and the values of engaged citizenship; and faculty members are afforded opportunities to be directly involved with their communities.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is "civic engagement"?
Civic engagement is essential to a democratic society. It includes, but is not limited to, participation in activities such as volunteerism, academic service-learning, community service, canvassing for a cause or candidate, voting and encouraging others to vote, involvement in public affairs or holding a public office, sharing knowledge and working with others, and being a good neighbor both personally and professionally. The Montana Campus Compact is committed to helping students develop the values and skills of citizenship through civic engagement and participation in public service.

2. What is Service-learning?
Service-learning is a teaching method that combines genuine community service with rigorous academic learning as it focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility. Service-learning programs involve students in organized community service that addresses local needs while developing students' academic skills, sense of civic responsibility, and commitment to the community.

3. How is The Montana Campus Compact funded?
MTCC receives funding from a number of different sources including dues from MTCC member campuses, and corporate, foundation, and government grants and gifts. Current and past funders include Brown University, Pew Charitable Trust, the Cinnabar Foundation, The Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve), Western States Insurance, The National Collegiate Honors Council, Community Medical Center, St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, and the Sample Foundation.

4. AmeriCorps and The Montana Campus Compact: What's the connection?
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. AmeriCorps members serve through more than 2,100 nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps currently provides funds for the Montana Campus Compact's Campus Corps and VISTA programs and provides educational awards, living allowances, and student loan forbearance in exchange for service.

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Contact Us

  • Eric Cardella

Campus Corps Program Manager

e-mail: cardella@mtcompact.org

  • Emily Clark

Campus Corps Team Leader (2007/2008)

e-mail: clark@mtcompact.org

  • Cody Lillstrom

MTCC VISTA Program Manager

e-mail: lillstrom@mtcompact.org

 
 

 

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