Engagement Australia is committed to leading, developing and promoting an integrated approach to university-community engagement within and between the higher education, private, public and community-based sectors.
Our member universities are
working towards a model in which university education and research should work towards specific economic and social objectives, by means of co-creating and exchanging knowledge, and by sharing resources, skills and processes with the public good in mind” (Global University Network for Innovation – GUNi 2012).
Engagement Australia Ltd is registered as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001 (ACN 147 869 207). Initially established as the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance (AUCEA) in 2003, Engagement Australia is also committed to developing resources to further support university-community engagement and to share and recognise best-practice in the field. Our constitution can be viewed here.
Engagement Australia supports and promotes the following definitions of engagement, university-community engagement and community.
Defining engagement …
Engagement can be formal or informal, and features interactive, reciprocal, two-way relationships built upon collaboration, trust, connectivity, mutual benefit, and shared understanding.
Defining university-community engagement …
University-community engagement (UCE) encompasses academic or scholarly activity, and other activities that specifically link a university with local, regional, national, and/or international communities; with its various communities such as business, industry, cultural, or social groupings.
UCE provides mutual benefit to the university and the community, and incorporates an integrated or inter-disciplinary approach that is realised through Engaged Learning & Teaching, Engaged Research, and Engaged Community Service. The first two elements are the core business of universities and they produce knowledge outcomes that are valuable assets for both the university and the community. These activities expand the role of higher education from being knowledge producer to being a knowledge collaborator, and this engagement can provide benefits to a variety of university and community stakeholders. The third element, Engaged Community Service provides the community with access to university resources: human, financial and/or physical and may provide an entrée to Engaged Learning and/or Engaged Research activity.
- Engaged Learning & Teaching is an academic or scholarly activity that links the university and the community – through students. Engaged Learning and Teaching can be achieved in many ways including work-integrated learning, service learning, and practicum. These opportunities enhance the student experience by providing real-world opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Other benefits include enhanced academic performance and student retention, and the development of a student’s social and community responsibility. Community knowledge and capacity can also grow through knowledge exchange and shared learning.
- Engaged Research is an academic or scholarly activity that is undertaken to meet the needs of the particular community while growing knowledge and understanding within and beyond the university. Engaged Research may be community identified, or it could also be community-based whereby community members are involved as active researchers’ along-side university researchers. It can also provide significant social, economic and environmental benefits and contribute to community wellbeing through its multi-disciplined and collaborative approach.
- Engaged Community Service is not an academic or scholarly activity but occurs when universities provide their community with access to their facilities and other resources to work for the “common good”. For example, university staff (academic and/or professional) and students may serve on community-based boards or committees. Other areas of Engaged Community Service include public lectures and forums, cultural events and performances, temporary exhibits or permanent museums, and websites that provide information to the community on various topics.
Defining community …
Community is not a singular entity, but a social phenomenon where broad groups of people may be connected to one or more communities by location, similar interest, identity, or affiliation. Communities can be formal or informal and include geographic communities, sector-based communities, communities-of-practice and communities-of-interest that can cross local, regional, national and international boundaries. A university’s community may include businesses, industries, professional associations, schools, governments, alumni, indigenous and ethnic communities, and local citizens to name but a few.
- Communities-of-Practice are social and knowledge-sharing networks that provide members, who undertake similar work and have a shared domain, with the opportunity to interact and learn together to improve their practice.
- Communities-of-Interest are temporary, diverse and representative groups of people that work together, to build shared understanding, and to identify solutions to resolve a particular problem or issue.
- Geographic communities are location-based and their scope is usually defined or shaped by topography such as mountain ranges, rivers, creeks and harbours. They can also occur around man-made structures such as railway stations, towns and cities that house government, retail and commercial centres.
- Sector-based communities include business and industry organisations or groupings, Not-for-Profit (NFP) organisations and community-based associations, government – local, state and federal, and universities.
