Features of Community University Engagement that facilitates real added value

1. Features of Community University Engagement that facilitates real added value George L. Openjuru PhD Associate Professor and Dean School of Distance and Lifelong Learning, College of Education and External Studies Makerere University

2. Participation • Participation is crucial for value addition in all social, economic and political activities. • In CUE the following feature should be part of this participation • The whole university in policy commitment, framework and structural provision) • Quality involvement Staff and students • Quality Involvement of Community members • Quality activities (agenda) in which all stakeholders are Involved from formulation, to implementation and evaluation

3. Outcomes of CUE • This is the most important and yet the most overlooked aspect of CUEwith added value. • Outcomes and expectations comes in the form of • Positive change in the community in terms of real social/economic transformation • Positive change in the university curriculum in terms of relevant content, teaching and research experience. • Levels of changes should range from local, regional, national to international (global).

4. CUE intervention strategies • To achieve the above outcomes universities deploy a number of methods that go by different names and meanings for examples • Community service • Service learning, Internship and field attachment • Extension service • Triple Helix's Partnership • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships • Private Public Partnership • Knowledge co-creation and research partnerships

5. Measurement and Quality question • The unresolved question that confront are many e.g. funding cutback etc. • However, today we need to engage with the question of the quality of CUE activities. This is an assessment question “How do we assess and define quality in CUE at the different levels • University wide level • Unit Level (schools, Faculties, Departments etc.) • Individual staff (Lecturers, professors, faculties etc.) • Program/course and student’s CUE involvement

6. How do we measure CUE • This start with how CUE is defined to provide for easy identification of indicators for quality assessment of CUE • Pre-engagement needs analysis, to provide for identification of changes and outcomes due to CUE Interventions ceteris paribus • Counting (quantitative measures) to determine quantitatively the level or frequency of engagement by the institutions, unit or individual • Internal Evaluation to establish Participants satisfaction (both university and community members) • External (Third party) evaluation base on a clearly stated outcomes

7. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES • In most cases all CUE activities have clearly stated objectives and all objectives are normally stated in measurable terms. If this assumption is correct why are we still concern about the measurability of a quality CUE activity? • What is wrong with CUE objectives? Are they badly formulated because of limited understanding of what constitute CUE. • why are they not bringing out the definitive features of what constitute a desirable CUE. • And what are these definitive features of a desirable CUE with added value • What is missing to bring about quality CUE.

8. Performance Indicators • If you talk about measure then you should have a clear measurable parameters called indicators. • There are may example of CUE indicators • Reflection of CUE in the mission and policy statement of the university and the clarity of its articulation, etc. • The Institutional structural provision for CUE in the University • Counting (numbers) the different aspect of CUE activities that the different staff, units etc. are involved in; the research projects, community partnership, reports and publications generated on CUE. These are OVI. • Noticeable and meaningful positive outcomes for community and university as partners in the stakes • Do these provide us with the evidence we need for quality CUE with added value.

9. WHICH DIMENSION OF CUE ARE WE THINKING ABOUT • As we think about how to measure CUE we should also be aware that there are very many dimension of CUE for example • Access to university resources/facilities such as libraries • Access to knowledge resources, e.g. research products • Students related to programs and courses • staff community service engagement activities • Access equity and social justice question in admission to higher education and completion for minority groups in society • Direct Improvement of community well being through projects • Community Stakeholder participation in the university curriculum development processes • Can we use one measure for all or do we need different quality measure for the different dimension for CUE.

10. In developing CUE measures how do we keep sights of CUE principles • As a core university wide function • Ensure its benefits are clear to both the community and the university’s operations • From service mentality to partnership arrangements • CUE exist at local, regional, and global levels • Ensure that it lead to co-creation of knowledge for use both in the community and the university

11. Thank you