Whither engagement? Challenges for community engagement within academia

Paper

Star, Cassandra. 2007. "Whither engagement? Challenges for community engagement within academia." Albion, Majella J. and Collins, Pauline (ed.) 2007 International Women's Conference: Education, Employment and Everything... theTriple Layers of a Woman's Life. Toowoomba, Australia 26 - 29 Sep 2007 Toowoomba, Australia.
Paper/Presentation Title

Whither engagement? Challenges for community engagement within academia

Presentation TypePaper
Authors
AuthorStar, Cassandra
EditorsAlbion, Majella J. and Collins, Pauline
Journal or Proceedings TitleRefereed Proceedings of the 2007 International Women’s Conference: Education, Employment and Everything... the Triple Layers of a Woman's Life
Number of Pages6
Year2007
Place of PublicationToowoomba, Australia
ISBN9781921420009
Web Address (URL) of Paperhttp://eprints.usq.edu.au/3321/2/Albion_Collins_eds_IWC_Proceedings_2007.pdf
Conference/Event2007 International Women's Conference: Education, Employment and Everything... theTriple Layers of a Woman's Life
Event Details
2007 International Women's Conference: Education, Employment and Everything... theTriple Layers of a Woman's Life
Event Date
26 to end of 29 Sep 2007
Event Location
Toowoomba, Australia
Abstract

Despite the commitment to engagement with the broader community that is central to understandings of the role of academics within the university tradition, there are now significant barriers to the performance of this role.

Significant changes in the management, funding and priorities of universities (prompted by government policy) have created conditions where community engagement is placed a distant third in the professional lives of contemporary academics behind research and teaching. Some have suggested that community engagement is not just a low priority activity in modern academia, but one that is consciously discouraged through questioned academic freedoms, more tenuous employment circumstances, and restrictive codes of conduct conditions at several universities. In addition, the widespread work intensification that has accompanied these other changes in University management has created significant disincentive to engage in community engagement for early career academics, women with children, and those seeking a healthy work-life balance.

This paper argues that while there has been much discussion of the privileging of research over teaching, the value and commitment to community service remains at the margins of reality and debate in Australian universities, and will continue to be while these challenges remain.

Keywordsacademics; community engagement; role of the university
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020449999. Other human society not elsewhere classified
440799. Policy and administration not elsewhere classified
520599. Social and personality psychology not elsewhere classified
Public Notes

Copyright is retained by the author.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Accounting, Economics and Finance
Department of Psychology
University of Southern Queensland
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