This volume provides insightful analysis of the way higher education engages with socially excluded communities. Leading researchers and commentators examine the validity of the claim that universities can be active facilitators of social mobility, opening access to the knowledge economy for formerly excluded groups. The authors assess the extent to which the ‘Academy’ can deliver on its promise to build bridges with communities whose young people often assume that higher education lies beyond their ambitions. The chapters map the core dynamics of the relationship between higher education and communities which have bucked the more general trend of rapidly rising student numbers. Contributors also take the opportunity to reflect on the potential impact of these dynamics on the evolution of the university’s role as a social institution. The volume was inspired by a symposium attended by a wide spectrum of participants, including government, senior university managers, academic researchers and community groups based in areas suffering from social exclusion. It makes a substantive contribution to an under-researched field, with authors seeking to both shape solutions as well as better diagnose the problem. Some chapters include valuable contextual analysis, using empirical data from North America, Europe and Australia to add substance to the debates on policy and theory. The volume seeks to offer a defining intellectual statement on the interaction between the concept of a ‘university’ and those communities historically missing from higher education participation, the volume deepens our understanding of what might characterise an ‘engaged’ university and strengthens the theoretical foundations of the topic.

This book examines and analyses the complex and contradictory relationships between Higher Education Institutions in England and their local communities within a wider political and policy context. It provides an overview of the UK university system which has a long tradition of a mixed pattern of relationships with communities. The book critically explores the academic spheres of teaching and learning, third stream activities and research, showing how the ways in which different initiatives supported by national policy and funding bodies have shaped the relationship universities have with their communities as well as the opportunities and challenges institutions now face to develop and transform these relationships.

This book establishes community engagement and service-learning as pathways to advancing human development and common good. Using the human development and capability approach as normative frameworks, with South Africa as a frame of reference, the author investigates the theoretical contributions and ultimate benefits of university-community partnerships. In doing so, this book demonstrates that three interrelated capabilities – affiliation, common good professionals and local citizenship – are developed through community engagement and service-learning. Subsequently, the notion of transformative change through community engagement and service-learning is illuminated, particularly when operating within the context of power differentials, inequality and extreme poverty. This book will be of interest and value to students and scholars of service-learning, and its implications for partnerships between universities and external communities.

This book investigates key aspects of the development of engaged and entrepreneurial universities. Reflecting the complex and dynamic nature of changes in higher education institutions (HEIs), multi-level perspectives in the field are taken into account, namely the ecosystem, relationship, organisational and individual perspective. The book highlights the entrepreneurial and the social orientation of HEIs by focusing on both primary economically focused (entrepreneurial) universities and primary socially focused (engaged) universities. It challenges the understanding of the role universities and its individual stakeholders play today. The book explores a multitude of facets and perspectives on the topic and addresses both what we already know and what knowledge still needs to be acquired.

Universities are under increasing pressure to help promote socio-economic growth in their local communities. However until now, no systematic, critical attention has been paid to the factors and mechanisms that currently make this process so daunting. In Universities and Regional Development, scholars from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia critically address this knowledge gap, focusing on policy, organization, and the role of individual actors to uncover the challenges facing higher education institutions as they seek to engage with their regions. In a systematic and comparative manner, this book shows internal and external audiences why, how, and when the institutionalization of universities’ "third missions" should take place, and also: challenges conventional wisdom about the role of universities in society and the economy demonstrates how institutions in different nations and regions cope with local engagement combines the latest national, regional and local research with international perspectives integrates diverse conceptual and disciplinary frameworks Universities and Regional Development is a key resource for researchers and students of higher education and territorial development, educational policy makers, and university managers seeking to engage with the world beyond their university.

Service-Learning and Civic Engagement: A Sourcebook focuses on historical, philosophical, social foundations, practices and models of service-learning and civic engagement. The title offers practical, jargon-free chapters applicable to any educational institution as well as community organizations that might consult the work. Key Features Practical, jargon-free chapters applicable to any educational institution as well as community organizations that might consult the work 58 signed chapters are organized into thematic parts, such as Concepts & Theoretical Approaches, Historical & Social Foundations, The Role of Service-Learning in Higher Education, The Role of the Community, Lessons Learned & Future Directions, etc. Thematic parts provide a practical sampling of syllabi, lesson plans, activities and resources, and online websites and databases supporting service-learning. Glossary (key terms commonly used in discussions and research on service-learning and civic engagement) Bibliography of sources consulted in production of the volume This Sourcebook is a scholarly source ideal for any educational institution and academic library as well as public libraries and community organizations that might consult the work on historical, philosophical social foundations, practices and models of service-learning and civic engagement.

Since the advent of the internet, online communities have emerged as a way for users to share their common interests and connect with others with ease. As the possibilities of the online world grew and the COVID-19 pandemic raged across the world, many organizations recognized the utility in not only providing further services online, but also in transitioning operations typically fulfilled in-person to an online space. As society approaches a reality in which most community practices have moved to online spaces, it is essential that community leaders remain knowledgeable on the best practices in cultivating engagement. Community Engagement in the Online Space evaluates key issues and practices pertaining to community engagement in remote settings. It analyzes various community engagement efforts within remote education, online groups, and remote work. This book further reviews the best practices for community engagement and considerations for the optimization of these practices for effective virtual delivery to support emergency environmental challenges, such as pandemic conditions. Covering topics such as community belonging, global health virtual practicum, and social media engagement, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for program directors, faculty and administrators of both K-12 and higher education, students of higher education, business leaders and executives, IT professionals, online community moderators, librarians, researchers, and academicians.