CAMPUS ENGAGE WORLD CAFÉ - NATIONAL CONSULTATION REPORT, 2014 Irish Higher Education Civic and Community Engagement - Irish Universities Association
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Irish Higher Education Civic and Community Engagement
CAMPUS ENGAGE
WORLD CAFÉ
NATIONAL CONSULTATION REPORT, 2014
OCTOBER 2014
Acknowledgement Campus Engage is most grateful to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) who fund the national initiative under the Strategic Innovation Fund. Sincerest thanks are offered to the Campus Engage Steering Committee and Working Groups that drive the initiative for success. This report was compiled by Dr Chris McInerney, University of Limerick, and Kate Morris, National Coordinator for Campus Engage. Every effort has been made to retain the original data provided on the day as part of the world café consultation process. Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014
On the 17th June 2014, Campus Engage Campus Engage objectives include: WHAT IS CIVIC
hosted over 180 delegates, from civil society
organisations, higher education institutions, • To promote innovative and responsible AND COMMUNITY
and policy makers, at a symposium, Campus- community-based learning and community- ENGAGEMENT?
community partnerships: conversations for based research activities;
“A mutually beneficial knowledge-
change, at Dublin Castle. A highlight from the • To develop resources and offer capacity based collaboration between
day’s events included the “world café” roundtables, building training to higher education staff the higher education institution
set up to consult with our key stakeholders on and community partners; and the wider community,
their interpretation of what Campus Engage can through community-campus
• To undertake research to build an evidence
do to support their needs, how they interpret partnerships including the activities
base for the positive social impact of civic and
the benefits, facilitators, and barriers to effective of community-based learning,
community engagement activity;
campus -community engagement. The event community-engaged research,
produced an energetic and rich dialogue; the To build awareness of the role of Higher
• volunteering, community and
results of which are presented in this report Education Institution (HEI) civic and economic regeneration, capacity-
and include a set of key recommendations for community engagement with potential building and access/widening
embedding and mainstreaming civic engagement. stakeholders and policy makers; participation”
The symposium was organised by Campus • To facilitate the creation of opportunities for - Campus Engage
Introduction to Campus Engage World Café Report
Engage, a national initiative, working with 22 national campus-community partnerships;
higher education institutions, Higher Education • To support the development of good
Authority (HEA), Irish Universities Association practice and policy in campus-community
(IUA) and Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI) volunteering;
to enable and embed civic and community
• To promote debate to inform our national
engagement activity, including community-
policy framework for civic engagement;
based research, community-based learning and
volunteering, across campuses and communities • To act as a national reference point for
in Ireland. consultation on community and civic
engagement practice and policy.
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 01
The Value of Engagement 02 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014
THE VALUE OF ENGAGEMENT
Community-based research, community-based Campus Engage also promotes knowledge
learning and volunteering allows scope for a exchange between academia, community service
campus-community partnership approach to ‘real providers, policy makers, and the public. Campus
life’ problem solving. Students can test acquired Engage aligns its work with the objectives of
knowledge and skills, and increase the relevancy of the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030
their academic experience, and critical thinking in a to shape the teaching, learning, and research
community work setting. experience to improve social outcomes, by
responding to real societal needs.
For students, accredited, experiential learning
acquired through community-based research,
community-based learning and volunteering builds
transferable, applied ‘work ready skills’. While on a
personal level, community-based activities increase
learners’ sense of personal achievement and
wellbeing.
In terms of civic responsibility, community and
civic engagement increases staff and student
understanding of facets of community-service,
diversity, empathy and social responsibility.
The Value of Engagement
It encourages citizenship skills and greater
involvement in community service.
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 03THE WORLD CAFÉ CONSULTATION
Methodological approach to consultation session
Higher education institutions’ two-way engagement The Campus Engage Café involved 180 participants
with wider society in its broadest sense involves a from civil society organisations, HEI staff and
range of stakeholders including students, academics, students active in the field of community
administrative and support staff from within the engagement. Participants explored a series of
sector; businesses, employers, community partners, questions designed to identify the potential benefits
policy makers and the media. The National Strategy and impacts of community engagement; articulating
for Higher Education 2030 places great emphasis on what elements are included in an ideal formula for
engagement with wider society as ‘the third of the community engagement; and finally suggesting what
three interconnected core roles of higher education’. It they thought the priorities for Campus Engage should
calls on higher education institutions to ‘engage with be in the coming years.
the communities they serve in a more connected
In order to classify, sort and arrange information;
manner—identifying community, regional and
examine relationships in the data; and make links
enterprise needs and proactively responding to them’.
around qualitative data provided at the consultation
The World Café provides one method to facilitate session, NVivo software was used to analyse non-
engagement. It is used globally by large private sector numerical information. Nvivo allows users to build
companies, governmental and non-governmental a body of evidence to expose gaps and support
organisations as part of a creative process for future planning. In addition the information was
leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge mapped using Visio to create visual diagrams to help
The World Café Consultation
and creating pathways for action. The working illustrate reoccurring themes and priority and sub
environment is set up like a café, and people hold a headings. In this report is a series of mindmaps, drawn
series of conversational rounds lasting from 15 to 20 directly from participants own recording of their
minutes about one or more topical questions which conversations during the symposium’s World Café
are meaningful to their field of work. session.
04 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014QUESTIONS PROPOSED
ON THE DAY:
Question 1
The benefits of community and civic engagement.
What benefits can campus-community partnerships bring to
support social, economic and cultural recovery and on-going
development in Ireland?
Question 2
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement.
Imagine its 2020, your campus-community(ies) partnership(s)
has been recognised internationally as a model of best
practice. What does it look like, feel like, act like?
Question 3
Achieving the ideal. Priorities for Campus Engagement.
From your discussions so far, can you identify the five top
The World Café Consultation
priority actions you would like Campus Engage to focus on
to help national policy and local institutions to realise the
ambition of becoming a model of best practice in building
campus-community partnerships?
World Café Facilitator, Dr Chris McInerney, UL.
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 05Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement 06 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014
RECOGNISING THE BENEFITS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The first question participants were asked to consider students. Alongside this, community engagement was
at the Campus Engage World Café session was what seen as helping to create more ‘society ready’, ‘work
impacts might campus-community partnerships ready’ students - improving employability by allowing
make to support social, economic and cultural students to gain practical skills in ‘real world’ settings.
recovery and on-going development in Ireland.
Key message: Campus-community engagement
This discussion produced the greatest volume
builds collaborative partnership approaches to solve
of feedback on the day, demonstrating that the
social issues.
participants considered the benefits and impact which
could be produced by effective campus-community The potential to build community-campus partnerships
engagement. and relationships is seen as an important result of
Key messages: Campus-community engagement community engagement efforts. From the comments
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
supplements existing access routes to higher recorded there is a strong emphasis on the importance
education, and enhances completion rates and of building meaningful relationships to improve
positive outcomes of a higher education experience. community and economic outcomes, in a way that
recognises partners equally. In particular, equality
Reflection on the benefits arising from community between stakeholders was emphasised as a core
engagement produced considerable comment on the objective for two way benefits of for better social
impact on educational experience. It was noted that outcomes for all.
community engagement initiatives can contribute to
Key message: Campus-community collaboration
raising education expectations for students, increasing
can increase the likelihood of achieving positive
the relevancy of course work, and expanding
economic outcomes.
possibilities for research, teaching and learning. Spin-
off initiatives from staff and student volunteering can Many participants commented on the potential
also supplement access opportunities for hard to reach economic impacts of collaboration including: the
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 07ability to generate workforces with relevant skills for Key message: Community-campus engagement
21st century global workplaces; the ability to make links builds a sense of shared community identity
between communities and business to support new to strengthen community morale and voice on
and existing enterprise needs; the ability of cooperative national policy issues.
links to support greater transition from higher education
institutions (HEIs) to employment. Campus-community For many participants community engagement was
partnerships can also collaboratively address social associated with ‘collaboratively working for change’
issues in a cost effective way that avoids duplication in the economic downturn - helping to strengthen
of effort and national investment. The potential for community identity, and in the process improving
cost effective HEI –community research projects, for people’s sense of belonging, and morale. Engagement
example, to inform effective and efficient national contributes to a strengthened public voice, producing
community services, policy and practice was frequently legitimate evidence, and raising the profile of
noted. community partners that HEIs work with. Related to
this, it helps to build capacity to collectively address
Key message: Community-campus engagement policy concerns, and to encourage communities to get
can support communities by offering recreational, involved in shaping, influencing and advocating around
technology and information services. policy matters, for better social outcomes.
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
Participants noted how better community–campus Key message: Community-campus engagement
working relations on projects, that affect the offers opportunity to exchange knowledge and
surrounding community, facilitate better opportunities innovative ideas.
for communication and increase the opportunity to talk
with, and listen to the community HEI’s serve. This can Participants noted that community engagement is
also open opportunities to share resources, physical about sharing perspectives, tacit knowledge, new
and/or intellectual such as upskilling in new technology, research, ideas and experiences to collaboratively
mentoring, amongst others. broaden community horizons, and tackle major social
issues facing Ireland around poverty, environmental
sustainability, health, ageing demographics, etc.
08 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Increases
Promotes percentage
Enhances access to of mature
educational higher students
retention* education* returning
to education
RAISES
EDUCATION
Provides Provides
THE BENEFITS
Supports
parental
EXPECTATIONS
RELEVANCY
flexible
models of
clear
learning
OF COMMUNITY
Exposing
engagement
AND learning outcomes ENGAGEMENT
career ideas OPTIONS
and possibilities ENRICHING ACCESS
TO AND OUTCOMES OF
EDUCATION
Assessment
needs to change
to reflect useful A reflection on the benefits arising
Increases outputs for from community engagement
students community
employability-
especially in IMPROVES BENEFITS partners produced considerable comment
recession when EMPLOYABILITY OF COMMUNITY on the educational impacts
there are fewer
paid employment ENGAGEMENT generated.
opportunities
Produces It was considered that community
civic minded
Students
graduates
becoming engagement contributes to raising
– listeners
– who will policy and education expectations, increasing
decission
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
eventually
become makers the relevancy of courses and
Students can leaders
learn skills that expanding options for study, not
increase chances
of employment** least through promoting access to
Student PREPARES
Produces higher education.
placed in a creative
position to SOCIETY graduates with
Alongside this, community
transferable
contribute READY skills who will
meaningful
STUDENTS be good engagement was seen as helping
changes
citizens* to create more ‘society ready’
students as well as improving
employability by allowing students
to gain practical skills in ‘real world’
Being led
Students will
PRODUCES
by community settings.
be challenged to needs can inspire
get out of education SOCIALLY otherwise unengaged
silo and see the AWARE students and help our
human beings and students understand
stories behind GRADUATES different social
the facts contexts
* popular responses
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 09Supports
connections
and joint
ownership*
Opens
up avenues
for communities
THE BENEFITS Encourages
relationships
to propose
projects and
OF COMMUNITY with the entire
community,
BUILDS Community
connections
novel solutions
and increasing
ENGAGEMENT including
communities
MEANINGFUL
RELATIONSHIPS*
can foster
understanding
HEI’s
responsiveness
of interest for of society
A PARTNERSHIP ongoing
benefit
APPROACH Benefits
students and
external
partners
Partnership approaches increase
the necessity for HEI’s to become
more agile. From the comments
recorded there is a strong
emphasis on building meaningful BENEFITS PARTNERSHIPS Partnerships
relationships, but doing so in a way OF COMMUNITY CHANGE make HEIs
more agile
INSTITUTIONAL
that recognises equality between ENGAGEMENT CULTURE
stakeholders as a core objective.
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
Campus
becomes inclusive
of multiple
communities giving
a full understanding
All partnerships of social, economic
ESTABLISES should show and cultural
Community issues
and academia PARTNERSHIP equality as it’s
not separate the cornerstone
PRINCIPLES to all
partnerships
Cultural
outreach
potential
True Equal
partnership stakeholders*
supports
empowerment
and not
dependency
* popular responses
10 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Reduces
Poverty*
Reduces crime
Fosters Stimulates and ultimately
political social saves money
thinking mobility
Encourages
THE BENEFITS
recognition and
respect for PRODUCES Identifying
OF COMMUNITY
community
based
SOCIAL
meaningful
questions to
ENGAGEMENT
organisations STIMULATES IMPACTS use resources/
DEMOCRATIC time better ECONOMIC IMPACTS
IMPACTS Generating ideas
for business
entrepreneurship/ Many participants commented on
innovation*
the potential economic impacts,
including the ability to generate
Supports
employment, make links between
incubation Projects communities and business and
of social can stimulate
BENEFITS enterprise employment supporting private and social
on campus
OF COMMUNITY enterprise development.
Supports
inclusivity
– shared ENGAGEMENT It was recorded that campus-
responsibility Adds to
economic community partnerships can
and cultural
stability help address social problems
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
You can GENERATES
address social cost effectively and avoid the
problems ECONOMIC
without big IMPACTS
duplication of effort and State
Campus-
investment
Community investment.
critique of Provides
‘boom’ culture, opportunities
SUSTAINS so that there is to address
LONGER no relapse community needs
TERM with business
Achieves expertise
IMPACT more with
Small projects less using
can be people
‘meaningful’ resources*
Changes
culture of HEIs Identifies
to facilitate Raises
funds for smart
community economy
Community engagement* community
engagement options
partnership Encounters
bring benefits initiatives*
real lives
to support social and problems
economic and – produces
cultural tangible solutions
recovery to meet real
needs
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 11Addresses
emotional barriers
and creates more
relevant engagements
with Higher Education
including more Improves
relevant courses public perception Creates
THE BENEFITS of higher education
and expenditure
gateway
of contact
OF COMMUNITY on higher
education
ENGAGEMENT Makes Breaks down
colleges more barriers between
BUILDS TRUST accesible
to all
institutions
and community
Engagement builds trust and Opens access
breaks down physical and to top sports and
recreational
emotional barriers. At a practical IMPROVES facilities to
COMMUNI- communicates -
level, this gives rise to opportunities CATIONS especially those
BREAKS DOWN who would not
to share resources, physical and/or Counteracts BARRIERS WITHIN traditionally avail Demystifies
isolation of third level.
intellectual. SOCIETY** campus for
community groups
- inreach and
outreach
initiatives
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
Allowing
personal
development
BENEFITS LEADS TO Makes facilities
BUILDS
TRUST****
OF COMMUNITY SHARING OF available to groups
FACILITIES/ who otherwise
ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES would not have
access**
Offers access
to extra resources
and organisational
horsepower,
Reduces especially new
Restores trust perception that
and builds better technology
Higher Education expertise
understanding is elitist and
of each widens Transfers
others issues participation skills from
communities to
college and
vice versa
12 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Educates
decision Shapes
makers policy
Influences
policy/
THE BENEFITS
Charter allows
practice OF COMMUNITY
for HEIs to operate
as a national
Creates
strong ADDRESSES
POLICY
ENGAGEMENT
network in service lobby
groups CONCERNS
to the
community
WORKING FOR CHANGE
For many participants, community
Advocates engagement is associated with
for change
working for change - helping to
strengthen local identity, and in the
process improving people’s sense
Takes care
of belonging to a community and
about the GIVES BENEFITS improving their morale.
community’s COMMUNITY OF COMMUNITY
concerns and A STRONGER
benefits ENGAGEMENT However, it also contributes to
for them VOICE
strengthening public voice, by
helping to produce legitimate
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
Increases morale
of participants** Job satisfaction evidence and raising the profile
of community partners. Related
to this, it helps to build capacity
Gives more
power to to address policy concerns and
communities by Raises the
having robust profile of to engage higher education
evidence community
partners to be STRENGTHENS institutions to involve themselves
an integral is shaping, influencing and
and equal part IDENTITY Improves Renews
sense of spiritual
of higher belonging* capital advocating around policy matters.
education
Fosters Restores Recovers
stronger civic pride collective,
local identity and appreciation not individual
of community Irish identity
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 13THE BENEFITS Stimulates
lateral
OF COMMUNITY thinking
ENGAGEMENT
ENABLES KNOWLEDGE
EXCHANGE
Provides Generates
exposure to good ideas
Community engagement is the real world from community
Enhances
problem
- people’s lived which academia
about sharing tacit knowledge, lives* might miss
solving
perspectives, ideas and experiences
to improve social and economic
outcomes for Ireland.
Sharing perspectives encourages
a broadening of horizons Enables
BENEFITS ENABLES experiences
and understanding amongst OF COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE learned overseas
participants, enabling experiences ENGAGEMENT EXCHANGE to be brought
Benefits of Higher Education Community Engagement
home
and outlooks to be exchanged.
Broadens
horizons***
Deepens Facilitates
awareness of sharing of
diversity perspectives***
14 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014IMAGINING THE IDEAL MODEL
OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
For the second question participants were asked to HEIs and providing internal HEI mechanisms for
imagine it was 2020 and their campus-community communication.
partnership has been recognised internationally
as a model of best practice. They were then Beyond this, at a more general level it was considered
asked to consider what this model looks, feels that community engagement should be a core part of
and acts like? The purpose of this question was to HEI staff job description, and should be recognised in
encourage participants to imagine what an ideal key performance indicators and rewarded.
model of community engagement might involve. This Overall participants felt that community engagement
discussion produced a number of key messages. would prosper if it is fully embedded within HEI
Key Message: Organisational structure and policies, requiring visionary leadership and an
leadership matter. investment in relevant higher education infrastructure.
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement
There was widespread recognition that an ideal model Key message: Effective community engagement
of engagement would be supported by the presence must be action and performance orientated.
of dedicated units within HEIs, with dedicated staff Participants noted that activities need clear goals
to support community engagement initiatives. It was and must be fully committed to assessment and
noted that a community unit or a community hub, accountability. It should be based on effective and
with senior leadership could provide a clear contact clear lines of communication, described by one
point for industry, community-based organisations and participant as ‘communiversity’. It should also be
staff within HEIs. strongly committed to encouraging self-assessment
Alongside these more fixed structures participants also and removing barriers, physical, sensitive or otherwise
emphasised that effective community engagement to the process of collecting data on outputs and
hubs could resource external networks, at local barriers to achieving outcomes.
and national levels, linking communities and
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 15Key Message: Finally, in an ideal world community
engagement would be characterised by proactive
collaboration to service of mutual needs.
Here, the presence of partnerships based on equality
and a ‘marriage of academic and community interests’
would be the norm, as would a commitment to an
educational service designed to enable, envisage
and achieve transformative outcomes. Underpinning
this would be a capacity to generate and support
active citizenship, amongst students, staff and the
broader community. The mindmaps that follow
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement
spell out participant views of what an ideal model of
community engagement would look like in greater
detail.
16 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Non One stop
bureaucratic shop campus
designated engage office
staff
Community
Engagement
Community core part of job
Engagement description for
rewarded HEI employee EFFECTIVE
Community
hub to create
COMMUNITY
HAS
clear contact
points
ENGAGEMENT
DEDICATED
STAFF… NEEDS DEDICATED
Community
liaison Officer COMMUNITY
RESOURCES AND STAFF
on campus UNIT WITH
In imagining the ideal scenario for
SENIOR
LEADERSHIP** effective community engagement,
Central Civic a recurring theme identified by
Engagement
Officer* participants was the creation
of appropriate and sustainable
infrastructure. Two key points
EFFECTIVE IS SUPPORTED include - the creation of dedicated
COMMUNITY BY SUSTAINABLE
community engagement hubs
STRUCTURES
Visionary ENGAGEMENT to provide support and act as a
leadership
clear contact point; and secondly,
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement
the allocation of dedicated staff.
Related to these points is the
Civic Volunteering
need for visionary leadership
Engagement
needs to be in Contributing structure and the need to see community
to sustainability for overseas
HEI policies experiences engagement as a core element
of community
IS organisations NETWORKS of the job description of college
EMBEDDED**
employees.
Make funds
available to Community Open and
translate research involvment flexible
evidence into in national institutions
tangible level steering
impact*** of engagement
Internal
networks
Investment
in infrastructure
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 17Transparent
Open assessment
ACCOUNTABLE measures
Physical walls/
Social walls have
come down*
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNITY
IS ACTION/
ENGAGEMENT RESULTS Designed for
action**
ORIENTED
SETS TARGETS AND Using ICT
to break down REMOVES
and impact
MEASURES IMPACT barriers
BARRIERS Community
accessing
Effective community engagement academia to
reach goals
requires emphasis on action
SETS CLEAR
oriented, results based initiatives. GOALS
It needs willingness to take active EFFECTIVE
steps to break down barriers and COMMUNITY Community
organisations
build trust. Trust
ENGAGEMENT undertaking
collaborative
research to
Sharing of resources and facilities influence
Clear lines of policy
can demonstrate this; while clear communication
and active lines of communication
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement
and decision making are crucial.
Interwined
Creates
conversations
that matters
SHARES IS BASED
FACILITIES/ ON EFFECTIVE
RESOURCES COMMUNICATIONS
‘Communiversity’
Open campus Disability access
Creative use Sharing stories
of space
18 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Serves
everyone
Inclusive Empowerment
participation of students and
community
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNITY
Transformative
collective
SERVES ENGAGEMENT
solidarity Produces
positive
experiences MUST BE
Active
community
REWARDING
members FOR ALL
Rewarding/ Participants saw effective
beneficial
experience for Engagement community engagement being
all involved** with
entrepreneurs built on a strong culture of
partnership, where service to
EFFECTIVE GENERATES community and the creation of
COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTS positive community engagement
ACTIVE
ENGAGEMENT CITIZENS
experiences are crucial. Within this
the need for visibility of all partners
Not an ‘add on’ Maximum
student and recognition of community as a
Imaging the ideal model of community engagement
involvement
‘real’ resource is important.
Finally, effective engagement,
Equal
Partners*
High visibility
it was suggested, implies a
Staff
of community volunteering commitment to promote active
and community
DEVELOPS contribution citizenship, not just with students
PARTNERSHIPS and community members, but
with staff of higher education
Confident institutions.
engaged students
and student
leaders Equal Community
Partners seen
as ‘real’
resource
Marriage of
Cohesive glue academic and
voluntary
interests
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 19ACHIEVING THE IDEAL
– PRIORITIES FOR CAMPUS ENGAGE
Informing Campus Engage strategic planning
In question three participants at the World Café were Of all of the recommended areas of action, identified
asked to identify the top five priority actions they as important for Campus Engage, communications
would like Campus Engage to focus on to help and awareness raising is without doubt the most
national policy and local institutions to realise the visible. Much attention was given to the need to
ambition of becoming a model of best practice in increase the profile of HEIs community engagement
building campus-community engagement. This work, to highlight its contribution to positive social
question aimed to provide a collaborative approach outcomes, potential to assist in informing future
to support the Campus Engage strategy and future community services, practice and policy, developing
planning beyond 2014. ‘work ready skills’ for new graduates, and responding
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
to community’s new labour market needs. Greater
Responses can be summarised under 5 key overarching
investment in outreach work was highlighted as one
themes:
practical solution. In addition, the communication of
• Supporting infrastructural change innovative community based teaching, learning and
• Encouraging funding based on accountability research was emphasised.
• Supporting full implementation of policy and Key message: Campus Engage can provide the
practice expertise and human resources to build capacity
• Communications and awareness raising and competency for community engagement.
• Providing a national collaboration and networking It was recommended by the participants that Campus
space for knowledge exchange Engage is well placed to support open access to
expertise, and provide capacity building programmes
Key messages: Campus Engage can build awareness
for HEI staff, students and community organisations,
and promote opportunities and benefits of campus-
to encourage and sustain good practice in the field.
community engagement.
20 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Campus Engage should also support the development Key message: Campus Engage can advocate for
of national collaboratively produced codes of practice, these resources, connected to HEI performance
practitioner friendly case studies of best practice, and targets on engagement.
tool kits to encourage curricula change, to meet real
world needs of student, and society. Participants recommended that the Campus Engage
network work at a national level to create a set of
Key message: Campus Engage can support HEI clear targets and a self-reflective measurement tool
infrastructural change to support embedding be developed to support the implementation of
community engagement on campuses. institutional strategy on engagement and realise the
Campus Engage Charter. A Campus Engage HEI index
In seeking to give direction to future strategic planning
and/or classification system, and regular reporting could
for Campus Engage, considerable emphasis was placed
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
help institutions to reach targets.
on how Campus Engage can encourage appropriate
engagement structures, at institution level. Campus Key message: Campus Engage can create
Engage should call for a Framework to inform HEIs opportunities at national and international levels for
to address staff capacity in community-engagement community partners, campus staff and students to
practice; allocate a key contact person on campus, network and share knowledge.
or regional community-engagement hubs to build
awareness of the benefits and impact of community Continuing with the communications theme,
engagement locally. participants saw Campus Engage playing a role in the
facilitation and promotion of a variety of knowledge
exchange and networking opportunities, locally,
nationally and internationally.
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 21Mobilise
community
partner and student
involvement e.g.
Enable community
community partner on
representations advisory Facilitate
Influence on steering boards community
internal committee of partner
culture and Campus network***
Persuade Engage*
CAMPUS institutional
leaders to
change /shared
events
ENGAGE maintain support
for community COMMUNITY Stimulate
PRIORITIES engagement LINKS
staff
development
Replicate
SUPPORTING Campus
INFRASTRUCTURAL EMBED Engage
COMMUNITY locally
CHANGE ENGAGEMENT
Advocate AS A CORE
Considerable emphasis was placed on and inform PRIORITY
policy STAFF
how Campus Engage can promote
appropriate support structures on
campus to embed engagement.
It was recommended that a CAMPUS STRUCTURES
AND
Framework for implementation be ENGAGE SUPPORTS
Advocate
for designated
developed to assist institutions to PRIORITIES points of contact
for civic
allocate contact personnel and build
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
CREATE engagement
in each
awareness. INDIVIDUAL HEI**
AND
Produce INSTITUTIONAL
incentives INCENTIVES DEVELOP
for staff
A COLLABORATIVE
FRAMEWORK FOR Promote
DECISION high status
Recognise MAKING posts for
Awards engagement
and Prizes for HEIs who get
community involved in the Help
Link engagement***. community develop a Framework
community Annual consisting of:
engagement presentation to a) coordinator,
and career University and IOT b) contact for communities,
progression presidents c) capacity to build Maintain
awareness of community national
engagement by the HEI office
and the community and
Work with d) funding to align
Gaisce the needs of the
President’s HEI’s and the
awards communities
22 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Encourage Develop a
online examples toolkit of
of best practice assessment
-subject/theme tools
specific
Develop a
portal of up-to-
date reading CAMPUS
MEASURE
materials and
best practice BEST ENGAGE
PROMOTE
GOOD
PRACTICE PRIORITIES
CREATE A PRACTICE
COMMUNITY PROVIDING CAPACITY
OF PRACTICE BUILDING, RESOURCES
AND REWARDING
Develop
overachieving
SUCCESS
guidelines
for practice It was proposed that Campus
Engage could play an active role in
CAMPUS promoting and building capacity
ENGAGE for community engagement within
Support
Support bottom Higher Education - through for
up/staff activity PRIORITIES Student
leadership example, creating communities of
practice, codes of practice and tool
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
kits to support good practice.
SUPPORT HEI’S
TO ANIMATE AND Capacity building was seen as
ACTIVATE BUILD crucial both at an individual as well
CHARTER CAPACITY
Negotiate quicker Pre volunteering
as an institutional level. Finding
Garda vetting training for ways to incentivise and reward
students
good community engagement
practices was seen as a particularly
Promote
important.
Develop cross-sectorial
a best practice dialogue on Build
model for institutions community capacity
and community - engagement to engage
governing placements, amongst successfully
expectations, and HEI’s both internally Provide regular
working and externally Mentoring Encouage
agreements Programmes availability of
and training best practise
mentors
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 23Share case
studies of
Develop and international
link local / national on the ground
Undertake communications best practice
promotional policy
campaign - get the Produce
message out examples
CAMPUS there - formality
to be avoided
Publicity
- encourage
partners
of good
practice-case
ENGAGE to recognise
engagement
studies,
stakeholder
PRIORITIES when it
goes well
benefits**
COMMUNICATIONS Widen
communication
of meetings BEST PRACTICE
Of all of the potential areas Promote value
for Campus Engage to act of engagement
- transform
-communications is without experience
to employment
doubt the most visible. Here, the
importance is on increasing the
broader profile of community CAMPUS
engagement to highlight its Get message of
HEI willingness INCREASE ENGAGE
contribution and potential benefits. on collaboration PROFILE / PRIORITIES Develop a user
out to potential friendly language
Undertaking comprehensive community VISIBILITY manual
partners
outreach work was also stressed, at
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
a local and national level.
In parallel, the communication
of ideas and best practice about
ENCOURAGE
community engagement was DEVELOPMENT OF
emphasised. FACILITATE A SEARCH ENGINE
Communicate Produce a INITIAL TO MATCH
the commitment sample Charter CONTACTS
of HEI’s to engage for external INSTITUTIONS WITH
all the community partners PARTNERS
and to explain to
students, staff and
community partners
what campus
engage does, through
visits, web,
posters etc. Establish an online
Workshops for platform for peer
community support for community
partners and HEI’s Maintain the partners and to
on the benefits momentum and create opportunity
of civic communication to link with
engagement* with the appropriate people
stakeholders on campus
24 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Organise an
annual gathering Facilitate local
of staff discussions Promote
/partnerships throughout the cultural Put a location
/students country to empower exchanges and face on
both community the activity
partners and local
institutions
Increase
the visibilty
CAMPUS
Invest
of academics ENGAGE
ANNUAL THEMED
resources-time
in building local
Produce
shared
publications
PRIORITIES
CONFERENCE* relationships
E.G. COMMUNITY AWARENESS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
BASED RESEARCH RAISING AND
OR STUDENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES
VOLUNTEERING SHARING
Continuing with the
Develop communications theme,
a social
media hub participants saw Campus Engage
playing a role in the facilitation
and promotion of a variety of
CAMPUS networking options, local and
COMMUNITY ENGAGE Continue
consciousness national -as distinct from raising
SYMPOSIUM NETWORKING PRIORITIES raising
Newsletters
the profile of existing activities.
They also envisaged a role
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
in broader awareness raising
about the value of community
engagement.
Educate top
management
in truly
understanding
Initiate a forum Encourage all EDUCATION the issues
to realise ideas HEI’s to offer a CURRICULA
community
based learning
module
Needs to be
embedded
Create within the course/
community partner college
Encourage - coordinated
opportunities to open campus
link with appropriate Research - & respected
partnerships Encourage
people on campus communty Recognise
- to highlight based cross and incorporated
opportunities teaching collaboration into mainstream
with the National modules
Forum for
Teaching
and Learning
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 25Offer funding
posts to HEI/ Develop
Community Encourage Rankings
collaborations and link to
for new innovative philanthropic
approaches to support donors
CAMPUS students to collaborate
to deliver long-term
Develop
measurement
ENGAGE sustainable impact
in HEI and
Identify /
access EU
and impact
metrics, reporting
PRIORITIES the Community Funding
structures,
transparent
process***
ENCOURAGE
PERFORMANCE PROACTIVE
Encourage
PLANNING WITH
RELATED FUNDING small projects
seed funding A METRIC FOR
in all EVALUATION** Set and
institutions
Participants noted that Campus monitor targets
that are authentic,
Engage can support community inclusive and
measurable
engagement to be adequately
funded locally and nationally.
Alongside this was a prioritisation
to develop accountability and CAMPUS
measurement tools such as metrics FUNDING ENGAGE ACCOUNTABILITY
& MEASUREMENT
to evaluate impact, ranking or PRIORITIES
classification systems and regular
Achieving the ideal – Priorities for Campus Engagement
reporting. These tools can support
performance related funding for
the field. Secure bursaries
for community
partners to come
to conferences/ Oversee
symposiums Annual
implementation/ Campus Engage
adaption of report/HEI
Carnegie Presentation
classification to Presidents
in Ireland
Establish
valid criteria
for resourcing Encourage /
for engagement facilitate
Identify scholarships,
potential fellowships
for and role with a focus on
of centrally engagement
managed
funding
26 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
At this stage of its development, Campus Engage can point to progress and extensive
collaboration both across the HEI sector and communities. However now the challenge is to
establish a sustainable platform for embedding and scaling up civic engagement activities. As
provided in this consultation process and report, the immediate task in the period ahead is the
embedding and mainstreaming of community and civic engagement within institutions and
across the HE system.
International experience of higher education civic Campus Engage members look forward to continuing
engagement has shown how it can transform the to work closely with the Higher Education Authority
teaching, learning, research and educational experience (HEA), offering collective insight and experience to realise
of students and staff, stimulate and raise the profile of the national policy objectives. The Campus Engage Metrics
institution in its community, and be a part of making real and Evaluation Working Group will focus on how to
social change with and for the community HEIs serve. support the development of the national performance
evaluation framework to include performance indicators
However, moving engagement from a range of ad hoc
for HEI work delivered in community and civic
activities across disparate disciplines and institutions into
engagement.
a strategic, sustainable and systematic feature of higher
education in Ireland presents considerable challenges. Some of the key recommendations for embedding
Interestingly the feedback from this national consultation and mainstreaming a civic engagement strategy
Conclusions and Recommendations
echoes key facilitators identified in the National Strategy include:
for Higher Education 2030 to overcome challenges
for the implementation of engagement with wider • Policy and practice, to mainstream civic engagement,
society across the higher education sector here. These needs to be led by senior personnel in each
include strong leadership at institutional level, higher education institution. Civic engagement
resource allocation, inclusion in promotion criteria is increasingly an explicit element in institutions’
and inclusion in the metrics evaluating impact at statements of mission and strategy;
institutional, regional and national levels.
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 27• Capacity is developed within individual higher • HEA to support full embedding of the 10 points of the
education institutions through posts dedicated to National Charter for Community and Civic Engagement
civic engagement activities. This infrastructure would on campuses;
enable the development of civic engagement as a
• Develop new tools to support strategic planning,
core activity and nurture sustainable community/
implementation, evaluation and measurement of impact,
campus partnerships;
drawing from those already developed.
• Existing civic engagement in each higher education
Steps for systems change
institution needs to be mapped to key performance
indicators - to shape a localised development plan • Engagement (third pillar of the higher education mission)
that is most appropriate for each individual institution is a formal part of the strategic dialogue between each
rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach; publicly-funded higher education institution and the HEA,
• Civic engagement is explicitly recognised and including elaboration of explicit performance indicators,
rewarded within the criteria for hiring and promoting and linked to performance funding.
staff as well as in workload profiles and staff • Community and civic engagement to form part of the
performance measures. Compacts that HEIs are signing up to with the HEA;
Inter-institutional steps • There is a need to establish robust and credible metrics
and evaluation tools for civic engagement in association
• Regional networking opportunities are developed
with the HEA to allow for accurate and acceptable
Conclusions and Recommendations
to define the ranges of engagement and associated
measurement of the civic engagement activities being
activities; support for development of communities
developed across the system;
of practice to share ‘good practice’ through a range
of collaborative activities, events and conferences; • Investment in national learning and knowledge exchange
events are needed at the highest level to promote the
wider acceptance and development of civic engagement
across the system.
28 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014Conclusions and Recommendations Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 29
APPENDIX 1 – LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
No. Surname First Name Organisation 23. Byrne Anne Marie SPD
1. Allwright Shane TCD 24. Caldwell Daniel GMIT
2. Bamber John Centre for Effective Services 25. Cameron-Coen Simone TCD
3. Barry Mairead WIT 26. Carley Grainne Suas
4. Barry Almar DCU 27. Casey Dympna NUIG
5. Barter Derek NUIM 28. Cazaux Nathalie ITB
6. Bates Catherine DIT 29. Chantler Abigail HEA
7. Bernard Julie DIT 30. Clear Micheal Aisling Project Ballymun
8. Blaney Grainne LYIT 31. Coogan Thomond UCD
9. Boland Josephine NUIG 32. Cooney Ron DIT
10. Bolger Thomas 33. Corrigan Trudy DCU
11. Borissova Verina 34. Costello Bobbi AnSiol
12. Boughton Phil Volunteer Ireland 35. Costello Sean UL
13. Bowman Sarah TCD 36. Creavin Ann DIT
14. Boyd Alex UCD 37. Crowther Suzanne
15. Breen Rebecca UL 38. Daly Jacqueline RCSI
16. Brennan Kathleen TCD 39. Darby Fionnuala ITB
Appendix 1 – List of participants
17. Buckley John SpunOut 40. Davis Mary Le Cheile
18. Burns Kenneth UCC 41. de Buitléir Daithí Raising & Giving Ireland
19. Burt-O’Dea Kaethe Des Ireland 42. Dempsey Mary NUIG
20. Butler Michelle Childhood Development Initiative 43. Dennehy Elaine CIT
21. Butler Maura Law Society 44. Doherty Lena TCD
22. Byrne Patricia IADT 45. Donaghy Martin SVDP
30 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 201446. Doona Annie IADT 73. Hunt Nuala NCAD
47. Duffy Nicola ITB 74. Hyland Niamh ITTallaght
48. Duggan Susan NCI 75. Johnson Helena ITCarlow
49. Farrell Carol Farrell Science Foundation Ireland 76. Keane Laura WIT
50. Feeney Angela IT Tallaght 77. Keaveney Karen UCD
51. Finch Margaret IT Tralee 78. Keegan Claire Galway Fringe
52. Fitzgerald Riona DIT 79. Kelliher Aoife CIT
53. Flanagan Bernadette All Hallows 80. Kelly Maria RCSI
54. Flanagan Kelly Ann GMIT 81. Kelly Fiona LYIT
55. Fleming Bairbre UCD 82. Kenneally Maria ITB
56. Gallery Richard ITB 83. Kenny Debbie
57. Galvin Conor UCD 84. Keogh John ITTallaght
58. Garvey Ailbhe DCU 85. Kerrigan Bridget DKIT
59. Gilroy Judith RCSI 86. Kielty Marie ITTallaght
60. Gilsenan Clare GMIT 87. Kilgallon Aine Foundation Nepal
61. Gilvary Gerry ITTallaght 88. King Anna NUIG
62. Ginty Carina GMIT 89. King Dervla Comhlamh
63. Goggin Deirdre CIT 90. Lally Lorraine
64. Gorman Catherine DIT 91. Lowery Helen Migrants Rights Centre
65. Hannon Cliona TCD 92. Lambert Cora All Hallows
66. Harte Paddy LYIT 93. Lavin Geraldine 3rdi
Appendix 1 – List of participants
67. Hendrick Mary ITTallaght 94. Lillis Séamus
68. Heslin Dermot Suas 95. Liston Zoe UCD
69. Higgins Ann ITSligo 96. Loftus Anne Community Development
70. Holmes Trevor UCC Representative
71. Horner Janet Comhlamh 97. Lyes Cliona
72. Hughes Sharon DIT 98. Lynch Siobhan DDLETB
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 3199. Lyons Ann NUIG 126. Meegan Joe AIT
100. Lysaght Zita DCU 127. Minihane Maeve UCC
101. Mac an Bhaird Ciarán NUIM 128. Moore Des ITB
102. Maguire Breda Foroige 129. Morgan Maria RCSI
103. Maher Fintan Trocaire 130. Morris Kate IUA
104. Malone Joanne Suas 131. Morrison Joan ITSligo
105. Margey Michael LYIT 132. Mulligan Des
106. Marmelstein Gill DKIT 133. Mulrone Claire Ulster University
107. Martin Eileen QUB 134. Murphy Alex
108. McTernan Finola NCAD 135. Murphy Rebecca UCC
109. McArdle Ailish DKIT 136. Murphy Jennifer UCD
110. McCann Sinead DIT 137. Murphy Brian AIT
111. McCarthy Margie SFI 138. Murphy Mary Carlow College
112. McCausland Irene DKIT 139. Murphy Padraig DCU
113. McCormac Tim DKIT 140. Murphy Vanessa DIT
114. McDermott Louise DCU 141. Murphy Timothy UL
115. McDonnell Claire DIT 142. Nea Lawrence NUIG
116. McEnery Megan 143. Neville Karen UCC
117. McGloin Aideen UCD 144. Neville Joe
118. McGovern John DIT 145. Ní Bhrádaigh Emer DCU
Appendix 1 – List of participants
119. McGrattan Caitriona 146. Nolan Fiona Coolock Development
120. McIlrath Lorraine NUIG 147. Ó Donnchadha Brian NUIG
121. McKenna Emma QUB 148. O’Brien Denis Foroige
122. McLean Colin LIT 149. O’Brien Diarmuid TCD
123. McNeely Anne Beaumont Hospital 150. O’Byrne Gráinne City of Galway VEC
124. McQuillan Helen EmployAbility Clare 151. O’Connor Pat ITB
125. Meakin Gregori UCD 152. O’Connor Naoimh UCD
32 Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014153. O’Connor Muiris HEA 180. Scally Mary DIT
154. O’Donnell Pat TU4Dublin 181. Scanlon Angela Ulster University
155. O’Donnell Aislinn 182. Simpson Mark UCD
156. O’Donovan Diarmuid NUIG 183. Smith Sarah TCD
157. O’Higgins Siobhan NUIG 184. Sugrue Sheila DIT
158. O’Reilly Colm DCU 185. Sweeney Fiona UCD
159. O’Reilly Kathleen UCD 186. Tan Eloise Teaching & Learning
160. O’Reilly Niamh Aontas 187. Tully Mairead AnSiol
161. O’Sullivan Tracy DIT 188. Walsh Donal GRETB
162. Ozarowska Joanna DCU 189. Walsh Marie LIT
163. Phelan Margaret ITTallaght 190. Walsh Bernadette UL
164. PhM Long IERC 191. Watters Deirdre NUIM
165. Powell Fred UCC 192. Wylie Gillian TCD
166. Prendergast Patrick TCD 193. Wynne Rhonda UCD
167. Purcell Bernadette ITTallaght
168. Purcell Justin Bles
169. Purser Lewis IUA
170. Quinn Sarah TCD
171. Robertson Peter IADT
172. Rogan Mary TCD
Appendix 1 – List of participants
173. Rogers Mark UCD
174. Rogers Margaret SVP
175. Roller Ian DIT
176. Rooney Carmel DIT
177. Roper Rebecca IADT
178. Ryan Brid NUIG
179. Ryan Niamh DIT
Campus Engage World Café National Consultation Report, 2014 33five ten
We will pursue, through a variety of means, our aspiration to open our campuses We will continue to advocate for appropriate resources, both financial and human,
to local communities, and our social, arts, cultural, academic and sports activities to achieve high impact civic and community engagement activities to maintain
will, where possible, promote local community engagement and partnership; and build on what we have achieved to date.
Prof. Don Barry Prof. Jim Browne Mr Michael Carmody Mr Denis Cummins Prof. Andrew Deeks Dr Annie Doona
president president president president president president
university of limerick national university galway-mayo institute of dundalk institute university college dun laoghaire institute of
of ireland galway technology of technology dublin art, design & technology
Mr Paul Hannigan Dr Maria Hinfelaar Prof. Clive Lee Prof. Brian MacCraith Prof. Declan McGonagle Mr Pat McLaughlin
president president Vice Dean president director president
letterkenny institute limerick institute of Royal College of Surgeons dublin city university national college institute of technology
of technology technology of art & design tallaght
Dr Mary Meaney Dr Patricia Mulcahy Dr Brendan Murphy Dr Michael Murphy Dr Oliver Murphy Dr Ruaidhri Neavyn
president president president president president president
institute of technology institute of technology cork institute of university college cork institute of technology waterford institute of
blanchardstown carlow technology tralee technology
Dr Philip Nolan Prof. Brian Norton Prof. Patrick Prendergast Prof. Terri Scott
president president president president
national university of dublin institute of trinity college dublin sligo institute of
ireland maynooth technology technology
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