The hunting of the Snark James Derounian University of Gloucestershire, UK

1. The hunting of the SnarkJames DerounianUniversity of Gloucestershire, UK Universities engaging their communities - lessons from community development

2. The hunting of the Snark Lewis Carroll, 1876 “They hunted till darkness came on, but they foundNot a button, or feather, or mark.” Pursuing a ‘holy grail’ - university engagement with communities?

3. What ‘communities’? • Communities of interest, place, learning & practice • Overlapping – ‘multi-hats’ • Focus, prioritising community engagement • Partnership, not a short term ‘affair’ • Winners and losers?

4. Community development(Francis & Henderson, 1992: 2) “Community development is about ‘getting things done’– but it is also about the creative development of people – people working together to support eachother…growing in confidence and competence through active participation, confronting inequalities in society”

5. Why university-community engagement? • “As powerful, cosmopolitan, moral and intellectual enterprises dedicated to the betterment of humanity, universities are now uniquely capable of leading and sustaining a global social movement to accelerate human progress towards participatory democratic schooling systems and participatory democratic societies.” draft Declaration of Participatory Democracy (2001) • Al Gore (2007) quoted an African proverb: “if you want to go far, go together”

6. Universities/education…and community development • “We strive to develop citizens with knowledge, skill and character leading to societal transformation” (University of Madras, India 2006) • “The University of Toronto is dedicated to fostering an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may flourish, with…a resolute commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice.” http://www.utoronto.ca/govcncl/pap/policies/mission.html#_Toc468159530 • “The university is committed to social justice and inclusivity, widening access, encouraging educational participation and to lifelong learning.” http://www.glos.ac.uk/shareddata/dms/703E82B2BCD42A0393425509FFAAF475.pdf

7. Universities/education…and community development A remarkable confluence: two birds with one stone? Hand in hand…..

8. Rhetoric is easybut what about practice?

9. DeLind and Link (2004) “Before losing themselves in the virtual or plunging…into the international, students need to carefully & critically examine what exists…outside their front (and back) doors.”

10. The elements of practice/community development principles • Transparency • Integration • Sustainability • Inclusion • Ownership • Partnership • Networking • Innovation • Good practice • Participation and consultation • Holistic • Others?

11. Arnstein’s ‘Ladder’ http://www.partnerships.org.uk/part/arn.htm

12. “fairness, altruism, reciprocity and responsibility” Engagement: “strenuous, thoughtful, argumentative interaction” Watson, D (2003: 1) Charting Uncertainty

13. Three challenges • “understand & build on our history… • be more conscious of “public interest in universities, & our obligations to maintain & develop it.” • “to internalise the principles of working in partnership” Watson, D (2003: 15) Charting Uncertainty USA National Survey of Student Engagement (2004): “students who are more engaged in civic activities gain more during college in terms of ethical development and contributing to the welfare of the community.” http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/1723.html cited by Chickering 2007

14. Practical examplesUniversities & community development • Staff/student ‘Community Service’ & volunteering • Graduate ‘recycling’! • Action research: http://www.soton.ac.uk/ccd/ • Whole-institutional working (not ghettoised) • “first rate educational programming that assists local officials in their decision-making” Illinois University • “‘organisation health checks’ & capacity building opportunities to voluntary organisations…in inner city areas close to the university”Bradford, UK

15. Practical examplescontinued • Service Learning: “students participate hands-on in the policy realm while keeping detailed journals & writing thoughtful blogs…” Sylvester, D (2008: 29) • Purposeful ‘gap year’ – community/sustainability/civic service

16. A cautionary tale….

17. References • Arnstein, Sherry R A Ladder of Citizen Participation, Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 35, No. 4, July 1969, pp. 216-224. Available online here • Carroll, L (1876) The hunting of the Snark, London, Macmillan • Chickering, A Strengthening Spirituality & Civic Engagement in Higher Education, Journal of College & Character, Vol. 8, No. 1, November 2006 http://www.collegevalues.org/pdfs/Chickering%20remarks.pdf • DeLind, L and Link, T (2004) Place as the Nexus of a Sustainable Future: A Course for All of Us in Barlett, PF & Chase, GW (eds) Sustainability on campus: stories and strategies for change, Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press • Francis, D & Henderson, P (1992) Working with rural communities, London, Macmillan • Heater, D (2004) A History of Education for Citizenship, Abingdon, Routledge

18. References continued • Sylvester, D (2008) 'Fostering Student Leadership in Tackling Community-Based Problems', Journal of Cognitive Affective Learning, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 29 – 30 http://www.jcal.emory.edu/viewissue.php?id=10#Brief_Reports • Watson, D (2003) Charting Uncertainty: capital, community and citizenship, Key-note address to 2nd ‘Inside-out’ conference on the civic role of universities • Watson, D (2007) managing Civic and Community Engagement, Maidenhead, Open University Press