Collaboratory renewed for three more years
UM-Dearborn’s community engagement database, Collaboratory, has been renewed for an additional three-year term, extending through Fall 2028. The renewal supports continued coordination of university efforts to document, analyze and expand community-engaged research and partnership activity across campus.
Since its initial launch in 2022, Collaboratory has established the foundation for tracking campus key performance indicators (KPIs), providing recognition for community-engaged work, and encouraging interdisciplinary research and partnership opportunities across the university. The user interface allows anyone to explore engagement data, identify collaborators and view how community partnerships align with institutional priorities. Each phase has addressed specific objectives: implementation and onboarding (2022–23) to establish infrastructure; data collection and refinement (2023–25) to improve reporting accuracy; and integration and capacity building (2025–28) to expand system access and incorporate Collaboratory data into institutional planning.
Over the next three years, the focus will be on proliferating a “Collaboratory culture” across campus through continued education and outreach — empowering faculty and staff to engage with the system independently and use its tools to benefit their own units and departments. This effort will strengthen the university’s ability to document engagement activity, support data-informed decision-making and promote transparency in community-engaged work.
Engagement Incubator
The Office of Community Engaged Learning and Global Engagement will host the first annual Engagement Incubator on Monday, Nov. 17 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Kochoff Hall, Renick University Center. The event is intended to facilitate collaboration between UM-Dearborn faculty and community partners on teaching and research initiatives.
Faculty participants will meet with representatives from Brilliant Detroit, LAHC, St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center, Cadillac Urban Gardens and the City of Dearborn Department of Public Health to discuss current organizational goals and potential areas for partnership. The session will also outline how OCEL and Global Engagement can provide logistical and programmatic support for community-engaged projects.
Faculty are encouraged to RSVP by Nov. 3 using the Engagement Incubator registration form. Partnerships and projects developed through the Engagement Incubator will receive priority consideration in the 2026 OCEL Seed Grant cycle.
