Utilizing Off-Campus Spaces to Engage Third-Space Labor Across the Disciplines to Build Community Partnerships

Abstract

This article examines the opportunities and challenges within academic labor of operating an off-campus space using the STEAM Factory as a case study. The STEAM Factory supports research collaborations across all disciplines and engages in community outreach that shares research outcomes and seeks to understand impact in a local context. Third-space labor makes the STEAM Factory model possible and drives collaboration, especially with community partners. The STEAM Factory has a membership made up of faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and staff supported by a program director, a faculty director, and a member-elected board of directors. As an organization, STEAM has been a detailed archiver of its own history providing a public report annually. To better understand the perspective of STEAM Factory members, and the nature of mentorship and workplace collaborations, the membership was surveyed on three different occasions: January 2018, January 2020, and January 2021. Surveys were followed up with structured interviews that addressed the rationale for collaboration among faculty. During the interviews, we found that for those conducting community research, the space and staff support has been integral to not only their ability to engage in community research but also their enthusiasm for community engagement. Through a discussion of the organizational history of the STEAM Factory, in combination with insights from membership feedback, this paper recognizes the role of third space labor, workers whose labor blends academic and support roles, in support of third places, places to gather that are not-home and not-work.