WKU Provost Honored For Leadership In Civic Engagement
July 13, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Dr. Barbara Burch, Western Kentucky University’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, has received a national 
award for her civic engagement leadership.
Dr. Burch is the second recipient of the William M. Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement presented by the Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
“I’m very proud of the award because it really does represent the many things the faculty and students are doing on this campus,” Dr. Burch said. “It shows the degree to which our faculty truly believe it’s an important priority for us as a public institution to take seriously the task of preparing our students to be socially productive citizens.”
The Plater Award is the first national award established specifically to honor and recognize chief academic officers for their critical role in advancing the civic mission of the campus through curricular reform, public advocacy, accountability for institutional citizenship, faculty development and recruitment, and partnerships with community organizations.
“This is a great honor for Dr. Burch and for WKU,” President Gary Ransdell said. “To be so recognized by an organization which represents public higher education speaks volumes about the degree to which WKU is setting a bold national pace.”
Dr. Burch agreed. “This award is part of the change in the academic quality of our institution and in the unique experiences that define what it means for students to be WKU graduates,” she said.
Examples of civic engagement at WKU under Dr. Burch’s leadership include:
- Participation in the American Democracy Project initiatives, including the Stewardship of Public Lands Initiative, the Political Engagement Project and the Seven Revolutions Initiative.
- Selection as Elective Classification in Community Engagement from the Carnegie Foundation in the areas of Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.
- Development of a Quality Enhancement Plan “Engaging Students for Success in a Global Society” as part of WKU’s reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- Establishment of the Provost’s Initiatives for Excellence, a competitive grant program that provides funding for activities that support civic and community engagement, service learning and student leadership development, student success and innovations in teaching and learning.
- Participation in the state-funded Regional Stewardship Initiative, which builds on WKU’s commitments to stewardship of place and civic engagement.
- Establishment of the “Engaging the Spirit” faculty development conference to share examples of best practices related to student engagement, civic engagement, service learning and assessment of student learning outcomes.
The William M. Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement was established in 2006 by AASCU in collaboration with Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in appreciation for the leadership of William M. Plater, who served as the chief academic officer of IUPUI from 1987 through 2006. During his term, Plater oversaw the development of civic engagement as an integral part of the campus mission and as a defining characteristic of its graduates, thus helping IUPUI win recognition among peers as a national leader. Plater was the first recipient of the award.
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