Abstract
Students who participate in regular community engagement (CE) often experience benefits in different areas of their lives. Many academic institutions have implemented action plans to increase CE within the student population. At the University of Calgary, Canada, this is done primarily through its broader Eyes High strategy. As there remains a gap in the literature about students' perceptions of CE and their awareness of university CE strategies, this study aims to identify undergraduate students’ awareness of the Eyes High strategy, attitudes towards and levels of engagement, and challenges and potential methods to increase CE participation. Data was collected through a voluntary online survey (n=528). Participants were recruited through posters, social media, online faculty platforms and by faculty members. Survey results indicated students lacked knowledge regarding the Eyes High strategy. It was noted that students’ knowledge, attitudes and practices of CE increased as they spent more time at the university. The top perceived challenges to CE were lack of time, accessible information, support and incentives. To increase accessibility and student participation, we suggest introducing the Eyes High Strategy and CE activities early to the undergraduate population through workshops, credit-based courses and/or professional development requirements. Our data suggests that students are not well informed about the Eyes High strategy. There is thus a need for the university to build a campus-wide, student-informed initiative to proactively engage students. This research will serve as a gateway to further explore communicative methods that might better convey university priorities to students.
Highlights
Community engagement (CE) is a broad term that encompasses various activities
As there remains a gap in the literature about students’ perceptions of community engagement (CE) and their awareness of university CE strategies, this study aims to identify undergraduate students’ awareness of the Eyes High strategy, attitudes towards and levels of engagement, and challenges and potential methods to increase CE participation
The respondents were spread across all faculties, with the greatest representation being from the Faculty of Science (n=208) and the Faculty of Arts (n=188)
Summary
Community engagement (CE) is a broad term that encompasses various activities Within universities, it is seen as an ongoing partnership between higher education institutions and the community, both at local and regional levels ( Jacob et al 2015). Previous studies have found that students who participate in regular CE often experience benefits in different areas of their lives as a result (Bowman et al 2010; Van Wynsberghe & Andruske 2007). One study found that actively engaging with one’s community while pursuing higher education had positive long-term effects, as students who volunteered or enrolled in at least one service course during their studies experienced greater life satisfaction as an indirect effect of their CE experiences (Bowman et al 2010)
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