Our Committees
Our intentionally non-hierarchical structure promotes and depends on collaboration. Each permanent committee is integral the mission and ultimate impact of the organization, and each committee's work is dependent on the others to be successful.
Education
The education committee works both internally and externally, serving as a resource for the Collective’s members, and also for the campus at large. They determine the educational needs of members to create and host relevant workshops, lectures, and discussions that inform the work of the Collective. The committee makes actionable the Collective’s commitment to having members who are well-versed on topics of social justice, community engagement, and active citizenship. They ensure that the practice of reflection is embedded into every part of the collective’s operations, and that Austin’s history is represented accurately and is made as accessible as possible.
Special Events
This committee serves as the primary coordinators and planners of “The Project” -- UT’s largest day of service. They coordinate all of the programmatic logistics for the full-day event are the primary contact with community site partners from the designated Austin neighborhood both leading up to and following The Project.
Trips
The Trips Committee plans service-learning, social-justice oriented trips within the United States. This committee is responsible for creating the curriculum before trips - focusing on learning more about the community they will serve, social justice issues relevant to that community, relationship building within the trip and with other trips. Committee members also serve as the leaders for the trips and work with the Development Committee to develop and help meet fundraising goals for the overall trip and guide participants in fundraising.
Community Relations
The community relations committee is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with community leaders who reside outside of the UT Austin community. They serve as the primary point of contact with community leaders to ensure the community priorities are being met.
This committee is made up of two parts: The Partner Neighborhood team and the City of Austin team. The Partner Neighborhood team acts as the primary point of contact for community members/leaders for the “The Project'' partner neighborhood. They are responsible for attending neighborhood community meetings and maintaining a relationship with the neighborhood throughout the duration of the “The Project.” They also coordinate and host Community Partner Steering Committee (CPSC) meetings. The City of Austin team acts as the face of the Collective to the city of Austin by attending community events and coordinating events in collaboration with the Center for Community Engagement staff.
Development
The development committee manages funds, applies for grants, secures sponsorships, manages fundraising, and maintains organized financial records. They also secure in-kind donations in support of AB, The Project, and the Collective as a whole.
Outreach
The Outreach committee manages the public image and brand of the Collective, as well as all external communications and promotional events. They are also responsible for recruitment and promotion for all events and ongoing CEC programs using campus and community networks (like tabling, emailing, class visits, and social media campaigns).
Culture
The role of Culture committee is to work to build community across all committees, leadership, and membership. This committee focuses on creating a positive experience for everyone to ensure that members understand and embody the vision and values of the Collective. The committee encourages participation across committees and creates a culture of true community through relationship-building and social events. The Culture committee also plans weekly ice-breakers and bonding activities during meetings.
Membership
​
Membership committee is responsible for the structural health of the collective, focusing on managing all aspects of people's experience in the collective. This includes orientation/new member experiences, internal communications, internal organization (calendaring, attendance, meeting agendas, etc), and documentation of the collective’s work through photos, exit interviews, etc. Membership also works on informal and formal recognition of members and external university awards.
