COMMUNITY INTERACTION SYMPOSIUM Stellenbosch University 3 April 2008 Jo Lazarus Community – Higher...

COMMUNITY INTERACTION SYMPOSIUM

Stellenbosch University 3 April 2008

Jo LazarusCommunity – Higher Education – Service Partnerships

(CHESP)JET Education Services

Preamble

• Key Questions resulting from HEQC Audit• Individual faculty submissions with regard to Key Questions• Consolidated summary of submissions• Format of presentation

– HEQC Audit – Faculty Responses– Comment

• General Comments

Who had the most to say?

FACULTY / GROUPING # WORDS

AgriScience

Arts, Literature & Social Sciences

Economic & Management Science

Education

Engineering

Health Sciences

Law

Military Science

Science

Theology

Students

Matie Community Service

1,432972

3,701

482

1,553

885827

623

1,3141,420

1,823

HEQC Recommendations

Recommendation 20“The HEQC recommends that Stellenbosch University engage in an institution-wide debate about the meaning of its notion of community, the nature and purposes of the interactions with different communities, and how these give effect to the institutions objective of self- renewal and its commitment to redress past injustices in South Africa”. (HEQC Audit)

Recommendation 21“The HEQC recommends that Stellenbosch University give serious consideration to the development of principles, processes and monitoring mechanisms to assess the quality of current and new community interaction activities. This assessment should include the extent to which these activities are related to the other two core functions and contribute to advancing the institution’s 2012 Vision and its strategic objectives.” (HEQC Audit)

Key Questions

• How does the faculty understand community?• What types of activities does the faculty classify as community interaction?• What is the nature and purpose of the faculty’s interaction with different

communities?• How does this (i.e. the nature and purpose of the faculty’s interaction with

different communities) give effect to the SU objectives of self-renewal and its commitment to redress past injustices in SA?

• According to the faculty, which principles, processes and monitoring mechanisms are necessary to assess the quality of current and new community interaction activities?

How does the faculty understand community?

“The Panel is further concerned that SU’s understanding of community may not be able to guide the institution on its path to renewal. The Panel noted with concern that, when the institution provides examples of its funding of community interaction, it mentions activities such as the HB Thom Theatre, the University Orchestra, the University Choir and Wordfest which all clearly focus on its historical community” (HEQC Audit)

HEQC Audit


• How is the term ‘community’ defined?• Who is the ‘community’?• What factors differentiate between communities?

FACULTY RESPONSES


“The term ‘community’ signifies the social grouping (qualified segment) involved in the interaction at any given moment”. (SU Community Engagement Policy)

DEFINITION


INTERNAL• Students• Parents of students

EXTERNAL• Commerce & Industry• General public• Government (Local, Provincial & National)• International Aid Agencies• Less privileged communities• Non-governmental organisations• Professional / statutory bodies• Research Institutions• Residential populations (e.g. local communities)

Who is the ‘community’?

FACULTY RESPONSES


‘A variety of understandings of ‘community’ exist amongst the student body. The most common one is undoubtedly a reference to the geographical area, in and around Stellenbosch. Many students seem to initially think of community in terms of the physical proximity people share with each other, using examples of surrounding areas such as Kayamandi, Cloetesville, and Jamestown as examples of “community.”

……..‘community’ is often a reference to less privileged or marginalized groups’

STUDENT COMMENT

What factors differentiate between communities?

• Socio-economic status• Values• Cultures• Geographic location (i.e. local, regional, national, international)• Interest groups • Historical circumstances

FACULTY RESPONSES



• One must caution against politization of the notion ‘community’ as it potentially blurs its meaning.

• The Community Interaction Policy provides a useful generic definition for the notion ‘community’.

• With reference to this definition the definition used by faculty at any given moment will vary according to the purpose and nature of the interaction.

• It is the purpose of our interaction that determines how we define community, who is included or excluded, and what the nature of our interaction will be.

COMMENT

What types of activities does the faculty classify as community interaction?

“An analysis of the documentation made available to the Panel indicates that a large number of community interaction activities take place at the faculty level. The Panel was not sure about the category of community interaction activities, as defined in the new policy, in which many of these projects would fall. The Panel was particularly impressed with the range of activities located in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts, the lists of projects provided by the Faculty of Education, the work done by the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, and he work of the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health.” (HEQC Audit)

HEQC Audit


• samewerking/konsultasie/buitewerk (met of sonder vergoeding en navorsing)met die industrie;

• bekendstelling van vakgebiede, aktiwiteite wat welstand van gemeenskappe verbeter insluitend primêre aktiwiteite byvoorbeeld opleiding deur o.a. tegnologie-oordrag;

• aktiwiteite wat diens op bedryf/industriekomitees insluit, asook kortkursusse;• wetenskap gemeenskap: “reviewing”, vakverenigings, kongresorganisasie, mentorskap aan jong akademici;• ondersteuning aan studente en skoliere uit agtergeblewe gemeenskappe byvoorbeeld dmv mentorskap;• ondersteuning aan NGOS;• vakansiewerk van studente in bedrywe wat inskakel by diensleerprogramme;• the Iimbovane project at disadvantaged schools. • Support for national science initiatives such as the National Science Expo supported by Escom and the

national mathematics camp• Holding of short training courses which may be seen to be service courses, aimed at improving skills (e.g.

food microbiology) or courses for training people in a certain technique and the list goes on. • Individuals may be involved in a variety of miscellaneous activities such as assisting with the organization or

marking of national science essay competitions often under the auspices of some other organization or society. Not necessarily a Faculty initiative.

• Career guidance type activities, for example organizing open days, winter weeks, lectures and presentations of different types to schools.

1FACULTY RESPONSES


• Research-based activities or consulting services, provided to a variety of organizations, commercial companies, government bodies, boards of various types or non-profit organizations.

• Research contracts, where a company sponsors research aimed at addressing some problem or matter of interest. It includes general research activities as the enhanced knowledge of how various systems work and interact of general benefit to society and government, especially in the context of planning.

• Research that may be carried out without a contract or sponsorship but where a service is provided in a spirit of volunteerism or for the value to be gained from commercial contact such as gaining access to interesting research material.

• Consulting services where advice is given and a staff member is paid (this may be viewed as community interaction even though it may not be free)

• Consulting services provided because of the expertise available for no remuneration, this is often the provision of a service in recognition that the university is partly funded from the public purse

• Councils national or international academic societies or groupings e.g. SA Society of Botany, the Geological Society of SA, International Council of Scientific Unions.

• Arrangement of national or international meetings and symposia.• Councils national or international academic societies or groupings e.g. SA Society of Botany, the

Geological Society of SA, International Council of Scientific Unions.

2FACULTY RESPONSES


• Arrangement of national or international meetings and symposia.• Service as an editor or a member of the editorial board of journals.• ad hoc reviewing of scientific manuscripts for journals.• Reviewing of grant proposals for national bodies such as the National Research Foundation, or

international bodies such as the National Science Foundation (USA) or Department of Energy (USA), Welcome Trust (UK) and the list goes on and on.

• Evaluation of individuals for promotion or appointment for outside institutions, or for an NRF ratings etc.• vaardigheidsontwikkeling (lewensvaardighede, leierskapsontwikkeling, hulp om opleidingsvlakke te

verhoog, sakevaardighede, vaardighede in gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprogramme)• dienslewering soos klinieke wat aangebied word deur Tygerbergstudente• praktiese aanwending van regskundigheid in werklike maatskaplike probleemgevalle in die Regshulpklinie• lewering van regsadvies en bystand aan die universiteitsgemeenskap en ander institusionele rolspelers• bydrae tot die werking van oorsigliggame deur middel van die aanwending van regskennis en –oordeel• betrokkenheid by meningsvorming en die openbare diskoers oor sake van aktuele belang.• Service delivery in the public sector: in health (majority) as well as education and social services• Outreach to other provinces, hospitals/clinics as well as chronic care facilities through service provision as

well as training of health professionals

3FACULTY RESPONSES


• Academic publications which influence health policy both at a system level, programme implementation as well as clinical management

• Advocacy: Lectures/talks to the public through radio (for example, Denise Williams presents a weekly slot on Radio Tygerberg called “Tyger Medies”), at various venues and at schools/churches on a variety of topics

• Mathematics and science education for in-service educators through the efforts of IMSTUS;• Improving learning in mathematics and science in public schools through the activities of SchiMathUS;• Youth development initiatives; Sport, fitness and wellness and physical education activities for learners in

schools;• Literacy development and enhancement for at-risk and street children particularly in rural communities;• Acquisition of physical and emotional capacities and skills for learners;• Disability and inclusive education in schools;• Environmental education and the currriculum;• Adult education;• Learning support and specialised education; • Service learning in community schools; and • Leadership development for educators in public schools through the efforts of CELEMUS.

4FACULTY RESPONSES


• Perhaps the major benefit of these impressive lists of activities lies in the length of the list rather than the information on the substance of the activities

• “Given the extent and variety of these activities the Panel concurs with the institution that an audit of community interaction activities is urgently needed (HEQC Audit)

• It is impossible to make collective sense or give collective meaning to these activities without a typology and conceptual framework which can serve as a lenze through which to view these activities.

• Some categories which emerged from a content analysis of faculty submissions include the following:

COMMENT


Who are the beneficiaries?• School learners• School teachers• Industry• Government• Patients• NGO’s• University students• Under privileged

Who are the Partners?• Schools• NGO’s• Church groups• Local government

What resources are required for the interaction?• Human resources• Material resources

COMMENT

What is the nature and purpose of the faculty’s interaction with different communities?

What is the nature of the interaction?• Research• Teaching• Consultation• Mentorship• Voluntary or Paid• Reciprocity• Supervision• Advisory• Problem-solving

What is the purpose ofthe interaction?• Skills transfer• Empowerment of communities• Capacity building• Knowledge transfer• Extension of scientific knowledge• Service delivery• Awareness raising• Deeper learning• Practical experience

FACULTY RESPONSES

How does this (i.e. the nature and purpose of the faculty’s interaction with different communities) give effect to the SU objectives of self-renewal and its commitment to redress past injustices in SA?

• Many of the community interaction activities are specifically designed to redress past injustices in society. As such, the community interaction activities are a vehicle for SU’s commitment to redress past injustices.

• Most of the references to self-renewal refers to self-renewal at the personal and individual level as a result of exposure to and working with different communities with different realities. The impact of community interaction activities on self-renewal of SU as a institution is unclear.

• The process of self-renewal: Exposure - new realities – awareness – understanding – mutual respect – common purpose – joint action = self-renewal and redress of past injustices.

COMMENT

Which principles, processes and monitoring mechanisms are necessary to assess the quality of current and new community interaction activities?

HEQC Audit

“ ………. the development of monitoring systems to enable the institution to evaluate the impact of its activities is also urgently needed. The Panel is concerned that no evidence could be found of specific attempts of developing mechanisms for the quality assurance of community interaction activities.” (HEQC Audit)

Recommendation 21The HEQC recommends that Stellenbosch University give serious consideration to the development of principles, processes and monitoring mechanisms to assess the quality of current and new community interaction activities. This assessment should include the extent to which these activities are related to the other two core functions and contribute to advancing the institution’s 2012 Vision and its strategic objectives.” (HEQC Audit)


• Activities must be approved by all partners• Information and observations must be recorded and available to all

partners• There should be regular feedback to all partners• Reciprocity• Good communication• Accountability and responsibility of all partners• Sustainability through collaboration and committed partners• Activities must adhere to a community interaction code of ethics• Need a Community Interaction Code of Conduct

Which principles should underpin community interaction?

FACULTY RESPONSES


• Minimise administrative burden• Maintain data base• Use Performance Appraisal system• Quality assurance is the responsibility of the faculty’s Management

Committee • The faculty’s Community Interaction Committee should be responsible for

monitoring• Monitoring should first and foremost be done internally and reported on

externally• Periodic external audit

Which processes and monitoring mechanisms should be used?

FACULTY RESPONSES


• Number of community interaction projects• Time each faculty member spends on community interaction • Budget of the community interaction project and its sources of funding• What partnerships have been established as a result of the activity• Target group/s reached• Each project should have clear, measurable targets / indicators• Focus of the activity (i.e. community priority to be addressed)• Impact of the activity• Outcomes generated by the activity• Reciprocity• Lessons learnt as a result of the activity

What needs to be monitored / measured?

FACULTY RESPONSES

General Response

• Caution should be taken to avoid discussions about what is understood by ‘community’ becoming a red-herring in the broader conceptual issues with regards to community interaction.

• The number and extent of community interaction activities at faculty level is impressive and significant.

• Many of these activities are designed to redress past injustices and in so doing become a vehicle for SU to address its commitment to redress past injustices in SA.

• Although many of these activities redress past injustices their impact on self-renewal appears to be limited to those involved in these activities with limited impact on the self-renewal of the university itself.

COMMENT

General Response

• There appears to be a lack of dialogue between the SU Community Interaction Policy and community interaction activities within faculties. This is confirmed by the HEQC’s “concern that the institutions definition of community interaction as well as the policy which attempts to give expression to the notion lack the necessary conceptual clarity to be of value to guide implementation”.

• This lack of conceptual clarity not only limits the value of the policy as a guide to implementation but makes it difficult if not impossible to apply collective interpretations, meanings and quality assurance process other than a limited technasist approach.

• The Community Interaction Policy appears to have the necessary ingredients for a clear conceptual framework. What seems to be missing is an elaboration and application of some of the concepts contained in the Policy.

COMMENT

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

VISION MISSION GOALS OBJECTIVES

POLICIES STRATEGIES STRUCTURES

PROGRAMMES

Gap between policy & programmes

Community Interaction Policy

Community Interaction Programmes

“The Panel is concerned that the institutions definition of community interaction as well as the policy which attempts to give expression to the notion lack the necessary conceptual clarity to be of value to guide implementation. (HEQC Audit)

Gap between policy & programmes



What appears to be missing is a conceptual framework that will

facilitate dialogue between the Community Interaction Policy and community interaction Programmes

Towards a Conceptual Framework

Teaching Research

1

Integration of Teaching, Research and Community Interaction 1

2

Integration of Teaching and Community Interaction

2

3Integration of Research and Community Interaction

3

4

Community Interaction only4

Community

Community Interaction



Thank you

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