civic engagement of universities

Civic engagementof universities

Andrea Vargiu(Università degli Studi di Sassari)

EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL

ASSOCIATIONRN27 – REGIONAL

NETWORK ON SOUTHERN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES

CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN

THE MEDITERRANEAN

AREA: SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES,

DYNAMICS

Sassari 1-2 october 2012

Andrea VargiuUniversità di Sassari

Laboratorio Foistper le Politiche Sociali e i

Processi Formativi

PERARES ProjectPublic Engagement with Research and Research

Engagement with Society(FP7/2007-2013)g. a. n° 244264

Community engagement of universities*

* Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2006 e 2008)

Curricular engagement

Outreach & Partnerships

Teaching, learning and scholarship engage faculty, students, and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. Their interactions address community-identified needs, deepen students’ civic and academic learning, enhance community well-being, and enrich the scholarship of the institution.

Outreach focuses on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use with benefits to both campus and community. Partnerships focuses on collaborative interactions with community and related scholarship for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration, and application of knowledge, information, and resources (research, capacity building, economic development, etc.).





THE MEDITERRANEAN


DYNAMICS




Processi Formativi



Commitment to community engagement*





THE MEDITERRANEAN


DYNAMICS




Processi Formativi



Level 1Low relevance

Level 2Medium relevance

Level 3High relevance

Level 4Full integration

Mission No mention or undefined rhetorical reference

Engagement is part of what we do as educated citizens

Engagement is an aspect of our academic agenda

Engagement is a central and defining characteristic

Leadership (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Deans, Chairs)

Engagement not mentioned as a priority; general rhetorical references to community or society

Expressions that describe institution as asset to community through economic impact

Interest in and support for specific, short-term community projects; engagement discussed as a part of learning and research

Broad leadership commitment to a sustained engagement agenda with ongoing funding support and community input

Promotion, tenure, hiring Idea of engagement is confused with traditional view of service

Community engagement mentioned; volunteerism or consulting may be included in portfolio

Formal guidelines for defining, documenting and rewarding engaged teaching/research

Community-based research and teaching are valid criteria for hiring and reward

Organization structure and funding

No units focus on engagement or volunteerism

Units may exist to foster volunteerism/community service

Various separate centres and institutes are organized to support engagement; soft funding

Infrastructure exists (with base funding) to support partnership and widespread faculty/student participation

Student involvement and curriculum

Part of extracurricular student life activities

Organized institutional support for volunteer activity and community leadership development

Opportunity for internships, practice, some service-learning courses

Service-learning and community-based learning integrated across curriculum; linked to learning goals

Faculty involvement Traditional service defined as campus duties; committees; little support for interdisciplinary work

Pro-bono consulting; community volunteerism acknowledged

Tenured/senior faculty may pursue community-based research; some teach service-learning courses

Community-based research and learning intentionally integrated across disciplines; interdisciplinary work is supported

Community involvement Random, occasional, symbolic or limited individual or group involvement

Community representation on advisory boards for departments or schools

Community influences campus through active partnerships, participation in service-learning programmes or specific grants

Community involved in defining, conducting and evaluating community-based research and teaching; sustained partnerships

External communications and fundraising

Community engagement not an emphasis

Stories of students or alumni as good citizens; partnerships are grant dependent

Emphasis on economic impact of institution; public role of centres, institutes, extension

Engagement is integral to fundraising goals; joint grants/gifts with community; base funding

* Source: Mohrman 2010: 150-151

Actors Kind of service

Individuals(students, scholars, general public)

Public courses, Conferences, Science weeks, Open doors, Orientation, Museums/botanic gardens, Public relations

Comunity ONG Non-profit Local authorities

Science shopsService learningApprenticeship

SME Regional authorities Technology transfer

Stages National and

international authorities Industry

Public commissionsContractsChairs

Relationships betweenuniversity and society





THE MEDITERRANEAN


DYNAMICS




Processi Formativi



Possible impacts ofcivic engagement of universities (1)





THE MEDITERRANEAN


DYNAMICS




Processi Formativi



Ambit Outputs Outcomes Outreaches

Impacts on teaching Satisfaction of students

Satisfaction of professors

Organization and quality of teaching

Quality of learning Reaching of

learning objectives Promotion of

active citizenship among students

Social competences and civic engagement of students

Possible creation of new curricula or study courses

Employability of students

Public image of academy

Impacts on research Quality of research Knowledge

dissemination and sharing

Participated research

Research autonomy

Dissemination of results

Capacity building Social uses of

research Incubator for new

research

Influence upon research agenda

Organization of research

Creation of participated research centres

Public uses of research





THE MEDITERRANEAN


DYNAMICS




Processi Formativi



Possible impacts ofcivic engagement of universities (2)

Ambit Outputs Outcomes Outreaches

Impacts on CSOs Satisfaction of demands

Quality of partnership and of relationships

Satisfactions of needs Changes in attitudes

towards science Legal success Product, service or

organizational innovation

Empowerment Creation of new

organizations or partnerships

Impacts on community Satisfaction of demands

Knowledge communication, dissemination and sharing

Uses of research results

Satisfaction of community needs

Operationalization of research results

Medium term influence upon decisional processes

Attitudes towards science

Knowledge sharing and diffusion

Trust in science Active citizenship Long term influence

upon decisional processes

Research based policies and practices

Diffusion of social consciousness and civic responsibility

Cultural and intellectual enrichment

Social welfare

civic engagement of universities

Documents

research engagement

community projects engagement

hiringidea of engagement

community inputpromotion

community use

community wellbeing

dynamics sassari

sustained engagement