Higher Education and Regional
Engagement & Development
Lorraine McIlrath
National University of Ireland,
Galway
Campus Engage
Community Knowledge Initiative
Aim of presentation:
•
Describe Civic and Community Engagement
•
Introduce Campus Engage
•
Findings from an Irish Audit
•
Examples
•
Tips for embedding engagement
Universities are both apart from and a part of society.
They are apart in the sense that they provide a critically important space for
grasping the world as it is and – importantly – for re-imagining the world as it
ought to be. The academic freedom to pursue the truth and let the chips fall
where they may isn’t a luxury – in fact it is a vital necessity in any society that
has the capability for self-renewal.
But universities are also a part of our societies. What’s the point unless the
accumulated knowledge, insight and vision are put at the service of the
community. With the privilege to pursue knowledge comes the civic
responsibility to engage and put that knowledge to work in the service of
humanity.
(President of Ireland, 2012)
Community & Civic Engagement – A Definition
A mutually beneficial knowledge-based collaboration between
the higher education institution, its staff and students, with the
wider community, through community-campus partnerships and
including the activities of Service Learning/Community based
Learning, Community engaged research, Volunteering,
Community/Economic regeneration, Capacity-building and
Access/Widening participation
(Campus Engage, 2011)
(Boland, 2012)
National University of Ireland, Galway
• Place communities at the centre of debate
• Educate students for civic engagement
• Service Learning
• Student Volunteering
• Research
• Knowledge Sharing
Youth
Academy
New Map in Ireland
National Review of Higher Education 2030
Endorses the civic mission of higher education and that ‘engaging with
the wider society’ is ‘one of the three interconnected core roles of
higher education;
Defines ‘engagement with business and industry, with the civic life of
the community, with public policy and practice, with artistic, cultural
and sporting life and with other educational providers in the
community and regions and it includes an increasing emphasis on
international engagement’;
strong leadership, resource allocation,
inclusion in promotion criteria and the metrics.
Available at http://www.hea.ie/files/files/DES_Higher_Ed_Main_Report.pdf
HEA SIF 1 Funding
• Precursor – HEA Strategic Innovation - Service Learning Academy 2005 to
2006
• HEA (2006) - development of individual students to attain their full
capacity, both in careers and as citizens in a democratic society facing
profound change.
• Budget €1.4 Million 700K direct and 700K matched - 3 year project 2007 2010
Campus Engage
A network to promote and support civic engagement in Irish
higher education.
Widening the scope of civic engagement activity to ensure that
Ireland plays a leading role in the promotion of active citizenship
in Europe through the development of social and civic
‘competencies’ as a key element of the student experience
Campus Engage - Phase 1 2007-2011
National Platform to promote Civic Engagement
within Irish Higher Education
Uncovering
Capacity
• Showcasing – resources and website
• Development of relationships
Building
Capacity
• Seminars and Workshops
• Conference
• Resources
• Seed funding
• Knowledge Sharing – peer to peer
• Website
• National Survey
Understanding
the Terrain
• National Survey of Civic Engagement
within Higher Education in Ireland – 24
participating HEIs
Uncovering Capacity - National Survey of Civic Engagement
Some findings
• 75% - acknowledgement;
• 60% - no promotion policies;
• Mix of manifestations (R, T & L);
• Implementation barriers:
• Including, human, fiscal & time ;
• Three report on dedicated centres;
• Complex data gathering process.
Some Reflections
• Plenty of practice & sometimes covert;
• Diverse partners (schools to NGO’s);
• ‘labour of love’ & saturation factor;
• Need for ‘joining of the dots’;
• Central repository within each HEI;
• Equal status (Research, T & L;
• Measurement.
(Lyons and McIlrath, 2011)
Uncovering and Building Capacity
Sample of Activities
• 350 staff from 33 higher education institutions in Ireland
• 30 community and voluntary organisaitons.
• EU Year of the Volunteer – Photo Exhibition on Student
Volunteering
• Gathered over 40 good practice case studies – online portal
• Seminars and workshops (national and international
academics) hoted by 12 HEI’s
• Offer a 10 ECT credit module to 60 acadmeics
• Visting US Scholar engaged with 10 HEIs
• Civic Engagment Seed Funding Scheme – 16 funded funded
projects
• Journalistic and Scholarly Publications
Campus Engage - Phase 2 2012 to date
Hosted by the Irish University Association
Hosted by the Irish University Association (IUA)
National Networks & Hubs
 Talloires Network http://www.tufts.edu/talloiresnetwork
 Campus Compact (USA) http://www.compact.org
 Asia Engage – http://www.asiaengage.org/
 Beacons for Public Engagement (UK) http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/
 Ma-am Alliance - http://www1.aucegypt.edu/maan/
 Engagement Australia - http://engagementaustralia.org.au/
 NCCPE (UK) http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk
 Living Knowledge - http://www.scienceshops.org
 South African Higher Education Civic Engagement Forum http://sahecef.ning.com/
Sideline to Mainstream
Top down and bottom up approaches
Everything is possible with vision and an enabling environment
Look at past & present maps, build upon and create new maps
Resources – people or a coordinating unit with a consultative
plan/map (organic or otherwise)
Effecting and Embedding of Policy
Make Friends – local/national/international
Sideline to Mainstream
Champions and Showcasing
Seed Funding – investment in people & projects
Scholarship and Research
Professional Development for all – students, faculty,
community and leaders
Revisit, review, recreate and deepen the maps
Tell the world!
European Conference
Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi)
UNESCO Conference – Barcelona May 2013
Knowledge, Engagement & Higher Education
http://www.guninetwork.org/guni.conference/2013-guniconference
Lorraine McIlrath
Community Knowledge Initiative
NUI Galway
lorraine.mcilrath@nuigalway.ie
+353 91 495234