Advancing the scholarship of engagement: an institutional perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Engagement and scholarship do not always sit comfortably within the higher education institution in Australia. One cannot consider advancing, let alone redefining, the scholarship of engagement until there is a symbolic shift moving it from the periphery to the core of the university's mission. The imperative is to progress to second- and third-order issues, rather than to consistently operationalise first-order matters by merely ticking the boxes. Is the scholarship of engagement problematic because institutions are unclear about their role and do not necessarily know and understand themselves at a deep level? Current thought around engagement in both a northern and southern context highlight issues around identity for universities that do not fit in either space. Australian universities adhere to a traditional northern model, despite being geographically located in the South. This article thus makes a case for a repositioning of both ‘scholarship’ and ‘engagement’ in a way that privileges the Australian culture, environment and people. The aim of such a repositioning is to avoid polarisations and make it possible to move fluidly between the two narratives.