Community Engagement @ UNSW
The Community Engagement @ UNSW project is focused on:
- The practice of community-engaged collaboration: the ways in which university staff and students work ethically and impactfully with community partners
- The scholarship of community engaged research and education: scholarly activity that values diverse knowledges and expertise and is developed collaboratively with and useful to community partners.
What we mean by community engagement
Community Engagement @ UNSW draws on Carnegie Community Engagement Classification's and Engagement Australia's definitions, and is focused on the following community partners:
- Community sector organisations that are not-for-profit, working to address social, economic and environmental needs, focused on advocacy, service delivery and other activities for the benefit of specific groups or places
- Aboriginal community-controlled organisations that are governed by boards of Aboriginal people with specific accountabilities to the communities they serve to provide leadership and improve outcomes and self-determination
- Networks of people with lived and living experience of discrimination, stigma and disadvantage who are experts and advocates in reforming the systems and practices that affect them
- Local residents and groups close to the UNSW campus at Kensington experiencing discrimination, stigma and disadvantage.
Kingsford Legal Centre Deputy Director Dianne Anagnos (right) with a law student
Dharriwaa Elders Group representatives visiting UNSW as part of the long-term Yuwaya Ngarra-li partnership
Enablers
We have heard from people at UNSW doing community-engaged work that there are factors that contribute to success in this area. These are:
- Long-term collaboration and commitment
- Genuine reciprocity and working 'at the speed of trust'
- Aligned institutional strategy and resourcing
- Collaboration between multidisciplinary academic and professional staff.
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