Open Doors, Open Hours: How CCE Is Inviting Students In
Resnick Gatehouse, where the CCE office is located.
There’s something a little easy to miss about the Bard Center for Civic Engagement, even though it sits in one of the most beautiful buildings on campus. The Resnick Gatehouse is a place most students pass by, maybe glance at on their way to class, but don’t always feel they have access to. And that’s exactly what Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement, and Cicily Wilson, Assistant Dean of Civic Engagement, are trying to change.
Every Wednesday from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm, CCE Open Hours are being reshaped into something more fluid, accessible, and student-centered. Rather than functioning as traditional office hours, the goal is to create a space where students can stop in casually, connect with resources, and feel more comfortable engaging with the CCE.
One of the main challenges they identified is visibility and accessibility. While CCE regularly tables around campus, that format can sometimes blend into the background. As they explained, tabling can feel like “just another table,” making it harder for students to engage in a meaningful way. Open Hours are meant to counter that by creating a consistent, welcoming space where students can spend time rather than just pass by.
As I sat and discussed with Cicily and Erin, what stood out wasn’t programming or logistics, but rather intention. They’re not just trying to get more students through the door. They’re trying to reshape what that door even means.
“We’re trying to recreate a sense of student ownership,” Erin explained. This sense of ownership resonates with a lot of students, because so much of campus life can feel structured, scheduled, or, ironically, hard to enter unless you already know how.
CCE, by contrast, wants to feel porous. Open.
And they’re doing it in ways that feel disarmingly simple. When the weather warms up, they’re hoping to move things outside: lawn games, casual setups, even homemade cookies. Not as gimmicks, but as invitations. Inside the Gatehouse, they talked about creating a “cozy space,” somewhere you can sit on a couch, finish a paper, or just exist between classes. A place that doesn’t require an appointment or a reason. “You can come in, sit, print something… just hang out.”
CCE Open Hours also serve as an entry point for students who may not yet be involved in civic engagement. Students can:
- Learn about volunteer and community engagement opportunities
- Get help finding or starting projects
- Pitch ideas for initiatives they want to see on campus
- Connect with community partners
- Talk informally with staff or student workers
Another aspect they highlighted is the value of having a more informal, intergenerational space. Open Hours allow for conversations that don’t require scheduling a formal meeting, but also aren’t limited to peer interactions. Students can stop in to ask questions, talk through ideas, or just spend time in a different kind of campus environment.
Ultimately, the goal of these weekly Open Hours is not just to increase participation, but to create a stronger sense of community and student ownership within the CCE. By making the space more visible, accessible, and flexible, Cannan and Wilson are trying to send a clear message: this is a space students can use, shape, and return to.
Even if it’s just for a few minutes between classes, Open Hours are intended to be an easy first step toward getting more connected, on campus and beyond.
Post Date: 03-27-2026