The Student Volunteers Council (SVC) and Community House, service groups previously managed by two different administrative offices, were incorporated into the Pace Center this summer, making Pace an umbrella organization for civic engagement groups.
Though some students were initially concerned that the July 1 reorganization would detract from student control of the service groups, all three parties soon concluded that the move made sense, SVC director Dave Brown said.
"Obviously the question of whether [the reorganization] would impact the students' ownership of this was definitely a concern of mine," Brown said. "[But] it does make sense to bring your resources in the same room at the same table at some point, to bring our voices together, corroborate and be strong. It's hard to argue against that — it's very practical."
The SVC and Community House missions are closely aligned with the broader idea of civic engagement that is at the core of Pace's mission, said Kiki Jamieson, the center's director. The center aims to "[take] action to identify and address issues of social concern" on campus and around the world, she added.
Before being incorporated into Pace, the SVC was overseen by the Office of Religious Life, and Community House was managed by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.
In joining Pace, both organizations will maintain their respective missions, ongoing projects and directors. Brown and Community House director Marjorie Young will both report to Jamieson.
Before the reorganization, Brown reported to Thomas Breidenthal, former dean of religious life, who left the University last winter. His departure prompted Janet Dickerson, vice president for campus life, to seize the opportunity to reorganize, since the SVC would be experiencing administrative change anyway.
"There have been conversations about bringing together Community House and SVC for more than a decade," Dickerson explained in an email.
Dickerson cited several reasons for linking the SVC and Community House with the Pace Center. One, she said, was a desire to "reduce redundancies in administrative functions" of the three groups. Another was to provide Community House — which Dickerson called "historically underfunded" — with access to new resources, while a third was to "create conditions for a 'center of excellence' " for the University's civic engagement initiatives.
Throughout the spring semester, administrators met with leaders and students from the three organizations to discuss the change.
"Students will have a lot of say in what the change is to look like," SVC Board Facilitator Sita Bushan '08 said. She added that the opportunity to give input helped ease any concerns the SVC might have had about the reorganization. "As long as our main tenets are protected and respected during the switch," she said, "we'll be fine."
Jamieson echoed Bushan's view that the reorganization is not a cause for concern because the groups are not "losing their identities or changing their missions." Young also said the move will "not [change] the core of our missions and what we do."
Bushan said the SVC focuses on promoting "direct service" and "student leadership" through a variety of projects, including popular programs like Community Action and break service trips. Community House, meanwhile, strives to help underserved youth in the Princeton area through educational programs, Young said.
Young also stressed the benefits of joining with Pace, citing access to a program facilitator for Community House and a Pace staff member hired to do evaluation assessments for all three organizations.
"Pace has so many more resources," said Rachel Okunubi '09, Community House co-chair. "There's definite excitement at this point."
Another benefit of the reorganization, Pace program manager Cathy Kerr said, is that some groups in the community have been working with both the SVC and Community House. Better communication between the two groups, she said, will make project organization easier for them and for community partners.
Though the incorporation of the SVC and Community House into Pace "changes very little in a day-today context," Jamieson said, the union of the groups under the umbrella organization of Pace will encourage smoother cooperation between the organizations.
"Clearer communication will lead to more opportunities for collaboration," she said.
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