Engagement Portfolio

Community Portfolio (Third Requirement)

The third requirement for the Graduate Certification in Community Engagement is the written portfolio and presentation. Preparing an engagement portfolio is an opportunity for students to:

• Reflect on your experience with the scholarship and practice of community engagement
• Describe and honor the context in which community engagement takes place
• Document your community-engaged scholarship methodically, including processes, outcomes, and evidence related to their collaboration with community partners
• Solicit critical feedback from community partners and faculty mentors on their perspectives about the collaboration
• Gather new and supporting materials to present for peer review
• Generate new insights through reflective writing
• Practice talking about your community-engaged scholarship or practice
• Practice talking about yourself as an engaged scholar or practitioner

The engagement portfolio is composed of two parts: written portfolio and portfolio presentation. Starting fall 2024, written portfolios are to be comprised of 20% project description and 80% reflections on the engagement competencies, mentored community engagement project, and personal growth and learning. Specifically, the advisory committee wants students to address

• Their motivations, communities, and context
• Community partnerships
• Foundational scholarship
• Critical reflections, thinking, and ethics
• Personal growth and learning
• Next steps in their career

Portfolio presentations take place on an ad-hoc basis throughout the year, when it’s convenient for the graduate student—Fall, Spring, or Summer. Presentations will be made via zoom to accommodate participation by community partners and peers. The program coordinator works with students to schedule portfolio presentations when University Outreach and Engagement faculty and staff are available. Written portfolios are due no later than one week before the presentation date.

As the culminating experience in the MSU Graduate Certification in Community Engagement, the written portfolio and presentation are equivalent to the final exam for the program. Together, they are your opportunity to synthesize and document what you have learned from the readings, seminar/workshops, mentored community engagement experience, and through reflection on your experiences with your community partners and mentor.

Both the written portfolio and presentation must be completed no more than three semesters after the student has graduated or separated from the university. Starting fall 2024, students will no longer be eligible to complete the Graduate Certification in Community Engagement in perpetuity.

Written Portfolio Guidelines

Portfolio Presentation Guidelines

Portfolio Rubric