What is core business? Social responsiveness, EV & active citizenship: some thoughts

Transcription

1 What is core business? Social responsiveness, EV & active citizenship: some thoughts Janice McMillan University of Cape Town Beyond Painting Classrooms workshop 4 March

2 Overview of presentation Debates about social responsiveness/community engagement in higher education (my context) UCT Social Responsiveness case study Challenges & inherent contradictions: communities and universities Thinking about organizations Ways forward developing new spaces; link to active citizenship

3 Universities and social responsibility International Talloires Declaration on Civic Roles & Responsibilities of HE (2005): The university should use the process of education and research to respond to, serve and strengthen its communities for local and global citizenship. The university has a responsibility to participate actively in the democratic process and to empower those who are less privileged. Our institutions must strive to build a culture of reflection and action that infuses all learning and inquiry. Globally in HE current discussion is re global citizenship and civic engagement what does this mean in SA?

4 SR debates in South African HE Publicly-funded institutions historically The status of a world university and an intense engagement with local community are complimentary policies, both essential to the health of the institution, rather than as competing priorities (Hall 2001: 2). The traditions of high-quality teaching, and of basic research available in the public domain, can be combined with the opportunities of access and public responsiveness to strengthen the publicly funded university as a distinct kind of organisation (Hall 2003: 5).

5 Higher education s tri-partite mission Teaching & research historically traditional role of university Challenges facing universities re role e.g. in SA publicly funded, challenging context Service/social responsiveness (SR)- unclear, subservient to the dominant institutional mission (teaching and/or research); differentiated institutional goals

6 From policy to practice High level intentions Commitment and goodwill How bring down to level of institutional ethos and actual practice? If alignment is the goal, how does one get there? What role does policy, management & institutional ethos play? Funding how does funding shape priorities?

7 South African HE post White Paper on Transformation - challenges central to the transformation of the HE sector: increased participation responsiveness to societal needs cooperation and partnerships Community Higher Education Service Project (CHESP) project 8 universities, 9 campuses; very different histories Universities in SA have taken SR on very differently depending on e.g. university mission, vision & management; location of core staff

8 UCT: Background context Far reaching SR survey completed in 2003/2004 towards defining social responsiveness work Consultation very important visible in approach: collected data on both what and how define SR Reflected a lot of initatives rather than limiting definition; very broad scope Outcome - University Social Responsiveness Committee, reporting to Senate; SR policy framework (2008; 2012)

9 SR policy framework Implementation roles broad: Academic Planning Dept; Student Affairs; Research contracts office; CHED (teaching & learning) To provide an enabling institutional environment to support, strengthen & promote SR activities To encourage the integration of UCT s SR initiatives with research and teaching To provide recognition for all staff and students who engage in SR activities To provide principles for reflecting on SR practices

10 Principles aimed at enhancing SR The university seeks to engage with external constituencies and build partnerships based on the following principles: Collaborative partnerships (mission & vision) Mutual respect and recognition for the different contributions Recognition that knowledge is transferred in more than one direction & from multiple sources Acknowledgement of power relations & importance of empowerment through creation of project space that transforms community issues into SR projects Where possible, providing structured opportunities to reflect on practice and experiences.

11 Challenges/contradictions of SR in HE As core business is it a 3 rd leg or embedded in T&R? How recognize it? What s a useful output and for whom? e.g. peer reviewed journals Different organizational types: ethos, mission & strategy Research intensive Comprehensives University of technology Funding sources: fees, contracts, publications Fundamental contradictions in SR work: different priorities, deadlines & issues

12 EV & active citizenship Learning Organizations : learn & link with issues in broader context; core business aligned with learning & being connected HE: core business is learning; corporates/ngo how create possibilities for learning to happen (from within & outside the organization)? Need to see employees as active citizens EV as part of broader learning & development pathways in building capacities & awareness for active citizenship? Citizenship not something for before/after work/; part of everyday experiences; engaging in the world EV as process/way of thinking about relationship of org-broader context and employees as active citizens Learning & reflection key processes (e.g. Anya; SI)

13 UCT Global citizenship programme

14 Possible framing of EV as development of active citizens Broader communities self Organisation/work place Facilitate reflection on these elements employees as citizens; awareness of contexts beyond workplace; workplace as site for this development