Community engagement in higher education is how universities address societal needs in partnership with their external communities.
This platform provides universities with resources on how to improve their community engagement across all seven thematic dimensions of engagement: teaching and learning; research; service and knowledge exchange; students; management (partnerships and openness); management (policies and structures); and supportive peers
Sub-dimensions:
I.1. The university has study programmes or courses to respond to societal needs that are specific to the university's context and its external communities.
I.2. The university has study programmes or courses that include a community-based learning component for students.
I.3. The university facilitates the participation of community representatives in the teaching and learning process (in a curricular or extra-curricular context).
I.4. The university has study programmes or courses that are created, reviewed or evaluated in consultation/cooperation with the university’s external communities.
Sub-dimensions:
II.1. The university carries out research focusing on the societal needs of the university’s external communities.
II.2. The university carries out collaborative/participatory research in cooperation with the university’s external communities.
Sub-dimensions:
III.1. University staff contribute to debates and initiatives that address societal needs of the university’s external communities.
III.2. University staff provide their knowledge to support and/or build the capacity of the university’s external communities.
III.3. University staff community-engagement activities have resulted in demonstrable benefits for the university’s external communities.
Sub-dimensions:
IV.1. Students deliver community-engagement activities independently through student organisations or initiatives.
IV.2. The university facilitates and supports partnerships between students and external communities.
Sub-dimensions:
V.1. The university has a track record of mutually beneficial partnerships with its external communities.
V.2. The university makes learning and research resources accessible to its external communities.
V.3. The university has facilities and services that are jointly managed and/or accessible to its external communities.
Sub-dimensions:
VI.1. The university provides support and/or incentives for community-engagement achievements by its staff, students and external communities.
VI.2. The university has a support structure (e.g. committee, office or staff) for embedding and coordinating community-engagement activities at the university level.
VI.3. The university has staff-development policies (e.g. recruitment, tenure, promotion) that include community engagement as a criterion.
VI.4. The university has a mission, strategy, leadership and (funding) instruments that specifically promote community engagement.
Sub-dimensions:
VII.1. The university has prominent academic staff members that have a strong track-record of community engagement and that advocate for its further advancement.
VII.2. The university’s academic staff are acceptive of the idea of university-community engagement and of the value and rigour of community-engaged teaching and research.
Community engagement in higher education is how universities address societal needs in partnership with their external communities.
This platform provides universities with resources on how to improve their community engagement across all seven thematic dimensions engagement.
Explore how universities engage with their communities, through institutional profiles or though featured practices.
Apply the TEFCE Toolbox, a self-reflection framework for community engagement in higher education, and begin an action-planning process at your institution.
Join our network, follow our events and connect with our experts for support and future collaboration.
Explore reports, resources and other networks to further support community engagement.
Explore how universities engage with their communities, through institutional profiles or though featured practices.
Apply the TEFCE Toolbox, a self-reflection framework for community engagement in higher education, and begin an action-planning process at your institution.
Join our network, follow our events and connect with our experts for support and future collaboration.
Explore reports, resources and other networks to further support community engagement.
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