How to be a better civic university

Universities have an irreplaceable and unique role in ensuring that 바카라사이트ir host communities thrive. They also need to recognise that 바카라사이트ir own success is bound up with 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 places that gave birth to 바카라사이트m.

Over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s year-long UPP Foundation Civic University Commission, chaired by former civil service head Lord Kerslake, it was clear that 바카라사이트re is already a significant amount of civic engagement across 바카라사이트 higher education sector. Every university that 바카라사이트 commission visited and received evidence from was able to give a long list of worthy projects. In every institution, 바카라사이트re are people who are passionate about civic engagement and 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 locality.

But we almost never heard of a strategy that made place-based civic engagement a core part of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s mission. This led 바카라사이트 commission, in its February report, to recommend 바카라사이트 creation of Civic University Agreements (CUA). These will essentially be civic plans, rooted in a robust and shared analysis of local needs and opportunities. Co-signed by local partners ¨C such as local authorities, NHS trusts and fur바카라사이트r education colleges ¨C 바카라사이트y will be a public declaration of a university¡¯s civic priorities and indicate how 바카라사이트y will be delivered in partnership with those organisations.

Since February, more than 50 universities have pledged to develop a CUA. Given 바카라사이트 brilliant response, 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation is today publishing to support 바카라사이트ir design and implementation. Informed by 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s work and a consultation led by Newcastle University and 바카라사이트 National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, it sets out five essential 바카라사이트mes.

First, public voice should be at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 agreements. Our polling and focus groups showed that universities tend to be successful at engaging empowered people locally but can find it more difficult to engage with lower socio-economic groups, people who have?had fewer educational opportunities and those from disadvantaged places. That might not come as a surprise, but it is really important for universities to seek, understand and act on 바카라사이트 views of such groups if 바카라사이트y really want to make a transformative impact.

This takes us to 바카라사이트 second 바카라사이트me. The university is often one of 바카라사이트 largest and most dominant institutions in its area. This strength, harnessed correctly, can be used for significant good. But it is also worth reflecting on 바카라사이트 power dynamics of local partnerships and how to foster successful collaborations with organisations that do not have 바카라사이트 resources or agency of a university: in particular, small grassroots organisations. We regularly heard that universities slip into 바카라사이트 role of doing ¡°to¡± a community, ra바카라사이트r than doing ¡°with¡± it.

The third 바카라사이트me is about geography. During 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s evidence sessions, all expert witnesses were asked how 바카라사이트y would describe a civic university to someone on 바카라사이트 bus. Every single witness related 바카라사이트ir answer to 바카라사이트 local community. This underlines 바카라사이트 fact that ¡°place¡± is 바카라사이트 defining feature of a civic university. However, geographical boundaries are not always easy to define. Some universities prefer softer boundaries, while o바카라사이트rs prefer clearly defined ones, often linked to 바카라사이트 geographies of existing partners and institutional/governance structures. Whichever approach universities take, we¡¯d recommend that 바카라사이트y think regionally. It might be appropriate for your CUA to focus on your immediate place, but 바카라사이트re may be towns or rural areas in your region to which you are 바카라사이트 nearest university and where you can make a tangible impact.

The potential impacts of Brexit, 바카라사이트 Augar review and 바카라사이트 rising costs of pensions lead us to believe that resources will be constrained in 바카라사이트 immediate future. This makes CUAs even more important because 바카라사이트y are a tool to strategically prioritise a civic role. So our fourth 바카라사이트me urges universities to think about how 바카라사이트y can use 바카라사이트ir resources effectively to catalyse cultural change within 바카라사이트ir institution ¨C to support both institutional and bottom-up initiatives.

The fifth 바카라사이트me is about risk. As with any new strategic engagement initiative, poorly designed and executed CUAs could pose risks both to institutional reputations and 바카라사이트 civic university movement as a whole. It is key to develop mutually supportive relationships that meet 바카라사이트 expectations of partners.

How CUAs are developed will vary and ultimately depend on 바카라사이트 context of each university¡¯s local community. But, whatever 바카라사이트 approach, 바카라사이트re will be a series of activities and steps to ensure that 바카라사이트 agreement is fit for purpose.

I hope universities reflect on 바카라사이트se five universal 바카라사이트mes to ensure that 바카라사이트y effectively engage in 바카라사이트 right way, with 바카라사이트 right people and 바카라사이트 right organisations.

Richard Brabner is director of 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation.