Site Visit Program
The Center for Community News has identified about 130 university led reporting programs where student stories are contributing to local news. These are not internships or student media, but programs where professional faculty/staff stand behind student work and coordinate with media partners. In this program, we work with your college or university to conduct a strategic review of your student reporting program and develop an implementable plan for expanding (or starting) a new initiative.
In the Site Visit program, CCN staff spend several days on your campus interviewing leaders and stakeholders and working with you to develop a plan for expanding your student reporting efforts. These visits involve a strategic review of your university/college student reporting programs with a focus on expanding or starting new initiatives AND developing specific steps for implementation.
How it works
We spend two days interviewing key stakeholders on your campus from a list that we develop together. We then analyze the results, combine it with what we know about other programs (they are all different) and then discuss with you a strategic plan that will grow some aspect of your student reporting program. You may already have a specific idea in mind that we can focus this on.
The focus of these programs is a rich learning experience for students and a contribution to local news -- which also benefits the students by providing real clips, networks and professional experience.
What it costs
There is no cost to you. We would like you to designate the staff-person, faculty member, external partner who will carry this forward. We work with you to design a program that works for you but we want to know you have a way to implement it, and particularly a person who will lead the implementation. This could be a course release for a faculty member, or the designated time of a staffer, or some other idea you have. We can also help you think about fundraising to start and implement this.
Flexibility
These programs are all different and this is very much designed to focus strategically on something that fits for you and can be implemented soon. Some of these programs have one or two students, some 20.
Deadlines and Timing
Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Write Richard Watts at rwatts@uvm.edu with any questions. Richard will be leading the review/planning with you.
News Training
In the News Training & Organizing program, CCN staff work with your campus to host a news training/organizing session for faculty (at your campus and regionally) interested in starting or growing student reporting programs.