Continuous improvement is a key value of the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC). It drives our commitment to measuring the impact on our students, partners, building users, campus, and community.
We utilize quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources to determine the effectiveness of our programs, the satisfaction of our building partners and users, the impact of our capacity-building efforts, and improvements we can make.
The CEC has conducted surveys of our building partner organizations since 2014. The results of these surveys are shared and discussed at regular building partner “All Hands” meetings, with the CEC Building Advisory Committee, and in publications and reports.
In 2019, the CEC conducted a new survey seeking feedback from individuals and organizations who have used the CEC to plan and host an event.
Findings from the surveys and reports, written by the Community Engagement Research Center (CERC), are available below.
Annual Surveys
- 2022 Annual Survey
- 2019 Annual Survey
- 2018 Annual Survey
- 2017 Capacity Report
- 2017 Top Findings Capacity Study
- 2017 Annual Survey
- 2017 Top Findings Annual Survey
- 2017 Top Findings Values Study
- 2016 Values Baseline Study
- 2014 and 2015 Annual Survey
Building User Survey
Annual Survey Research Phases
From 2014-15, working with our partners at CERC, a 2-year research study regarding the impact of being a values-based building, and whether or not our values were affecting the work and interactions of our building partners, was completed.
We believe the findings of the 2014 and 2015 Annual Survey will be helpful to other universities as they contemplate similar campus or place-based community engagement centers that involve multiple partners.
The study began with the 2016 Values Baseline Survey of the CEC’s building partners, including its university (staff, faculty, and students) and community (staff and volunteer) partners.
A CERC doctoral student conducted a qualitative study of the CEC’s building partners’ capacity needs in early 2017. In addition to compiling the report, the CERC worked with CEC staff to identify “Top Findings” from the report.
The 2017 Capacity Study has been utilized to identify additional capacity-building opportunities, refine marketing and communication strategies in the CEC, and improve networking efforts. The annual survey and interim values study have been combined into one instrument since 2017.
The feedback we receive from each survey helps us improve the experiences and efforts, of those individuals using our facility to make Omaha and the world a better place.