UVic sets strategic course for community engagement

In line with the university’s vision of excellence in civic engagement and community-engaged research, UVic has established a new office to integrate support of its vision across all sectors of the university with specific strategic goals.

The Office of Community University Engagement [OCUE] will build on the university’s initiatives that over the years have forged strong relationships with community organizations aimed at meaningful change on society’s economic, social, cultural, technological and environmental challenges.

“The establishment of the Office of Community University Engagement at UVic reflects the university’s deep commitment to socially responsive research, community-university engaged scholarship and interdisciplinary innovation,” says President Jamie Cassels. “Matching research and education with societal need is a crucial aspect of engagement at UVic and this new office will help maintain the university’s position at the forefront of the community-university engagement movement in Canada.”

UVic’s faculty, students and staff have individual, program or research-based connections in thousands of community organizations, work places, households, company boardrooms and government operations.

Under the leadership of Dr. Norah McRae, OCUE will provide strategic oversight and an overarching vision around “five pillars”:

• Community Engaged Learning (to enhance integration of community experience with student learning);
• Community Engaged Research (to strengthen mechanisms and resources to support this level of research);
• Good Neighbour/Citizen (to contribute to the well-being of our local region);
• Knowledge Mobilization (to foster a culture supporting knowledge exchange and application for the betterment of society);
• Policies and Institutional Supports (to focus on internal support of community-university engagement).

OCUE’s work over the next three years will be guided by three institutional-level goals (i) developing UVic as a hub for excellence for community-engaged scholarship; (ii) increasing opportunities for all UVic students to have an engaged experience as part of their education; and (iii) leveraging the university’s strengths and strategic commitment to sustainable social, cultural and economic development in our local region.

“These goals, each with specific strategies and outcomes, will take advantage of opportunities and build on our successes,” McRae points out.

McRae will continue as executive director of UVic’s Co-operative Education Program and Career Services, supported by a staff secretariat consisting of three employees who will provide administrative support for OCUE and the Institute for Studies and Innovation in Community-University Engagement (ISICUE).

ISICUE, established in June 2013, will continue as a research institute studying and building scholarship around community-university engagement, as well as engaging in innovative projects.

“ISICUE is a ‘doing’ think-tank. It will continue to do research on engagement and to nurture innovative projects and as such serves as another reflection of the university’s continued commitment to community engagement,” says Dr. Leslie Brown, who is retiring in June after two years as ISICUE director. A new ISICUE director will be appointed this summer.

OCUE also fills Brown’s former role of Special Advisor to the Provost on Community Engagement.

A community-university engagement executive, consisting of UVic’s provost, vice president research and vice president external relations, will have overall responsibility for the community-university engagement strategy.