Building Community Engagement for Effective Community Relations

The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is active in laying the groundwork for embedding a culture of dialogue and deliberation in Chicago communities, local and national government. IPCE has been exploring how to help broaden and deepen the engagement of residents nation-wide in public policy and community issues—particularly at the neighborhood, city, and county levels—through various engagement methods and models.  

Recently, IPCE presented a session on Relationship Building with Community Members and an Experiential Exercise at the State Attorneys General Police Oversight & Accountability Network June Convening to showcase learned lessons and best practices that have been used to pursue meaningful community engagement on police accountability issues. IPCE’s “Building Community Engagement for Effective Community Relations” webinar will encourage law enforcement oversight agencies to explore and enhance community engagement best practices and methods. IPCE will highlight methods to best engage the community, to give a voice to police misconduct complainants and reassure the community that allegations of misconduct are thoroughly and independently reviewed, and to address concerns about disciplinary outcomes or lack thereof. 

Joseph Hoereth

Joseph Hoereth was hired as Associate Director of the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) when it was founded in the fall of 2008, and appointed Director in January 2009. IPCE creates opportunities for scholars, concerned citizens, students, and government to participate in public discourse and educational programs on current policy issues and social trends. As Director, he is responsible for the overall management of the Institute. Dr. Hoereth came to UIC in 2004 as the Associate Director of the Great Cities Institute (GCI), bringing a wide range of experience in community development research and evaluation, having previously worked for university research centers, non-profit organizations and private consulting firms. As an independent consultant, he conducted research projects on housing and comprehensive community building. He has worked for two private consulting firms, including an urban planning firm specializing in fiscal and economic impact studies for housing developers and a firm conducting research and program evaluation for foundations and non-profits. He has held staff positions at the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago and the Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR) at Rutgers University. Additionally, he has authored multiple reports and papers on housing, community economic development, and urban planning. Hoereth holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters, and a Ph.D. in urban planning from Rutgers University. He has taught courses as an adjunct faculty in the Department of Urban Planning and the Department of Public Administration.

Norma Ramos

Norma Ramos, MSM, is a civic engagement strategist who regularly engages with Chicago communities as the Associate Director for the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). As Associate Director, she is responsible for leading strategic direction, initiatives and management related to the Institute’s core areas of research, education, and public discourse. She is also responsible for building and maintaining civic, community and educational partnerships, media partners, and local and state government relations related to the program development and administration functions of the Institute. She manages the Institute's research projects, educational and leadership programs, public discourse, and dialogue initiatives. She is also a trained facilitator, manages training programs and opportunities utilizing various dialogue methods to enhance deliberative democracy and civic and public engagement.