No Neutral Ground: Rejecting the Privilege of Silence in the Face of Inequality

April 23, 2026 @ 9:00AM — 3:30PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar

University of Maryland, Baltimore: 4MLK Building, 2nd Floor 4 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21201 Get Directions

No Neutral Ground: Rejecting the Privilege of Silence in the Face of Inequality image
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No Neutral Ground: Rejecting the Privilege of Silence in the Face of Inequality

This day-long institute is designed to bring together campus teams to co-create and engage with colleagues from other institutions around assessing particular challenges and opportunities to create a campus culture of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) through civic and community engagement (CCE) partnerships and initiatives. ​

Institutions of higher education face increasing scrutiny and legislative challenges related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives. Concurrently, developments in civic and community engagement (CCE) scholarship and practice have expanded opportunities to advance equity-focused institutional work. Research demonstrates that JEDI initiatives contribute to improved student retention, and one outcome of robust CCE efforts foster is sustained, reciprocal partnerships between institutions and their communities. Recognizing the complementary nature of CCE and JEDI, many colleges and universities seek structured guidance to more intentionally integrate these efforts.

Transform Mid-Atlantic (TMA) is excited to convene campus teams from across the Mid-Atlantic region to examine and advance strategies that link CCE and JEDI. The Institute is grounded in a rubric - TMA's JEDI-CCE Institutionalization Rubric developed by the TMA Equity Task Force, adapted from Dr. Andy Furco’s framework for institutionalizing community engagement. The rubric has been aligned with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Standards for Accreditation and the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.
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Institute Objectives
Participants will:
• Examine institutional approaches to integrating CCE and JEDI across diverse campus contexts
• Develop proactive and sustainable strategies for advancing JEDI within evolving political and cultural environments
• Receive formative, peer-informed feedback on proposed institutional strategies
• Align CCE and JEDI initiatives with MSCHE accreditation standards and the Carnegie Elective Classification
• Engage with a diverse network of public and private, two- and four-year institutions, including HBCUs and minority-serving institutions
• Assess the effectiveness of strategies designed to institutionalize the integration of CCE and JEDI


Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 16, 2026 - Space is limited so please register early.

To register a TEAM (either Member or Non-Member Campus): A designated, institution representative should register and submit payment for the TEAM. You will receive a link in your registration confirmation email to add your TEAM member information.

TMA Member Campus - TEAM - $500/institution (for a team of 4-8 people)

**PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD PURCHASE JUST ONE (1) TICKET AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION TO REGISTER ONE (1) CAMPUS TEAM of 4-8 individuals**

Non-Member Campus - TEAM - $900/institution (for a team 4-8 people)

**PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD PURCHASE JUST ONE (1) TICKET AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION TO REGISTER ONE (1) CAMPUS TEAM of 4-8 individuals**

Member Campus - Individual (without a team or adding additional team members beyond the 8 people) - $95/Individual

Non-member Campus - Individual (without a team or adding additional team members beyond the 8 people) - $135/Individual

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Special Guest Speaker and Facilitator

Dr. Timothy Eatman

Timothy K. Eatman, Ph.D., an educational sociologist and publicly engaged scholar and Professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark served as Inaugural Dean of the Honors Living - Learning Community (2016 – 2021). Prior to his appointments at Rutgers, he served as Faculty Co-Director of Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life and Associate Professor of Higher Education at Syracuse University. Tim serves on multiple boards and commissions including as Past Chair American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Chair of the Membership Committee; Co-chair of the Urban Research Based Action Network (URBAN); member of the National Advisory Committee for the Carnegie Engagement Classification for Community Engagement; member of the National Advisory Board for Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtP); and Chair of American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) American Democracy Project Steering Committee. Tim has also served as board chair of the International Association for Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)

Pursuing a rigorous scholarly agenda, Tim serves on editorial boards and reviews for academic publishing houses, scholarly journals, and conferences. He has written several book chapters and research reports including the widely cited Scholarship in Public: Knowledge Creation and Tenure Policy in the Engaged University, a seminal report on faculty rewards, and publicly engaged scholarship. Tim is co-editor of The Cambridge Handbook of Service Learning and Community Engagement.

A widely sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and collaborator who has earned local, national, and international recognition for his leadership in advancing understandings about the multi-faceted impact of publicly engaged scholarship in the University of the 21st century, Tim was recognized by the University of Illinois College of Education with its 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award. He was recently named Senior Fellow at AAC&U for 2026.For more information see his web pages at http://timeatman.com.

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Suggested team members:
Civic and Community Engagement Director/team Members, Campus Belonging and Inclusion Representative(s), Faculty Development Representatives, Community Partner Representatives, Institutional Research Representatives, Student Representatives, and TMA Senior Advisory Group for Engagement (SAGE -Campus Liaison to TMA) members.
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Parking and Getting There

We will be meeting in the 4MLK Building (#17 on Campus Map) 2nd Floor - 4 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd - located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and West Baltimore Street - 4 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Free parking (63 spaces) available next to the building.

A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Please contact Associate Director, Dr. Shawntay Stocks at stocks@transformmidatlantic.org with any questions.

By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the terms outlined in the following event disclaimer and waiver.

I hereby grant Transform Mid-Atlantic (TMA) the unrestricted right and permission to record, photograph, film, and/or otherwise capture my image, likeness, voice, or appearance in any media format. I further grant TMA the right to reproduce, use, exhibit, display, distribute, broadcast, and create derivative works from these recordings or images for any lawful purpose in connection with TMA’s mission and activities.

This includes, but is not limited to, use in educational materials, promotional content, publications, social media, and other public media platforms, as determined appropriate by TMA. I understand that I may be identifiable in such materials.

I waive any right to inspect or approve the final products or the specific uses of such recordings or images. I further waive any rights, claims, or interests I may have in connection with the use of my likeness, including any right to compensation.
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