Dedication to Community Engagement: A Higher Education Conundrum?
Publication Date
6-19-2012
Document Type
Article
Keywords
Community engagement, Higher education
Abstract
Universities and colleges are increasingly providing internal grants to encourage faculty and staff involvement in community-based research and service-learning projects; however, little attention has been given to the impact of institutional support of these efforts. This qualitative study employed focus group interviews with 17 faculty and staff at one mid-size private research university (high activity) to explore the impact of institutional funding on their professional roles and practice of community engaged work. Findings revealed that community-based projects energized the participants, helped them make their academic work relevant in communities, created formal and informal university-community partnerships, and elevated the University’s public image. However, a conundrum was evident in the tension between the University’s public expression of the importance of community engagement and participants’ concerns that the traditional academic reward structure could jeopardize their long-term commitment to community work. A framework is offered that may assist institutions that are pondering or have already committed to using institutional dollars to support engaged scholarship.
Publication Statement
Copyright held by the author or publisher.
Recommended Citation
Nicotera, N., Cutforth, N., Fretz, E., & Summers Thompson, S. (2012). Dedication to Community Engagement: A Higher Education Conundrum? Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 4(1).