ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case of relationships that also had a strategy and helped to produce real change. It discusses how relationships developed from the first-person standpoint of the community. Although the relationship is important, the emphasis on relationships can make it seem as if the goal of community–higher ed partnerships is simply to have a relationship. This perspective neglects the question of whether that relationship has impact. Showing trust and respect encourages people on the community side to contribute their expertise rather than withhold it out of worry their ideas will be dismissed or discounted. Another motivator for students to move to analysis was the opportunity to present a poster for the university's annual undergraduate research symposium that spring. The challenge was that the data contained over 10,000 calls for service. In thinking about the "scope" of a community–campus partnership project, one important consideration is whether it is doable in one semester.
