Civic engagement of universities Andrea Vargiu (Università degli Studi di Sassari) E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n°

Community engagement of universities* * Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2006 e 2008) Curricular engagement Outreach & Partnerships Teaching, learning and scholarship engage faculty, students, and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. Their interactions address community-identified needs, deepen students’ civic and academic learning, enhance community well-being, and enrich the scholarship of the institution. Outreach focuses on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use with benefits to both campus and community. Partnerships focuses on collaborative interactions with community and related scholarship for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration, and application of knowledge, information, and resources (research, capacity building, economic development, etc.). E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n°

Commitment to community engagement* E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n° Level 1 Low relevance Level 2 Medium relevance Level 3 High relevance Level 4 Full integration MissionNo mention or undefined rhetorical reference Engagement is part of what we do as educated citizens Engagement is an aspect of our academic agenda Engagement is a central and defining characteristic Leadership (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Deans, Chairs) Engagement not mentioned as a priority; general rhetorical references to community or society Expressions that describe institution as asset to community through economic impact Interest in and support for specific, short-term community projects; engagement discussed as a part of learning and research Broad leadership commitment to a sustained engagement agenda with ongoing funding support and community input Promotion, tenure, hiringIdea of engagement is confused with traditional view of service Community engagement mentioned; volunteerism or consulting may be included in portfolio Formal guidelines for defining, documenting and rewarding engaged teaching/research Community-based research and teaching are valid criteria for hiring and reward Organization structure and funding No units focus on engagement or volunteerism Units may exist to foster volunteerism/community service Various separate centres and institutes are organized to support engagement; soft funding Infrastructure exists (with base funding) to support partnership and widespread faculty/student participation Student involvement and curriculum Part of extracurricular student life activities Organized institutional support for volunteer activity and community leadership development Opportunity for internships, practice, some service- learning courses Service-learning and community-based learning integrated across curriculum; linked to learning goals Faculty involvementTraditional service defined as campus duties; committees; little support for interdisciplinary work Pro-bono consulting; community volunteerism acknowledged Tenured/senior faculty may pursue community-based research; some teach service-learning courses Community-based research and learning intentionally integrated across disciplines; interdisciplinary work is supported Community involvementRandom, occasional, symbolic or limited individual or group involvement Community representation on advisory boards for departments or schools Community influences campus through active partnerships, participation in service-learning programmes or specific grants Community involved in defining, conducting and evaluating community-based research and teaching; sustained partnerships External communications and fundraising Community engagement not an emphasis Stories of students or alumni as good citizens; partnerships are grant dependent Emphasis on economic impact of institution; public role of centres, institutes, extension Engagement is integral to fundraising goals; joint grants/gifts with community; base funding * Source: Mohrman 2010:

ActorsKind of service Individuals (students, scholars, general public) Public courses, Conferences, Science weeks, Open doors, Orientation, Museums/botanic gardens, Public relations Comunity ONG Non-profit Local authorities Science shops Service learning Apprenticeship SME Regional authorities Technology transfer Stages National and international authorities Industry Public commissions Contracts Chairs Relationships between university and society E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n°

Possible impacts of civic engagement of universities (1) E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n° AmbitOutputsOutcomesOutreaches Impacts on teaching  Satisfaction of students  Satisfaction of professors  Organization and quality of teaching  Quality of learning  Reaching of learning objectives  Promotion of active citizenship among students  Social competences and civic engagement of students  Possible creation of new curricula or study courses  Employability of students  Public image of academy Impacts on research  Quality of research  Knowledge dissemination and sharing  Participated research  Research autonomy  Dissemination of results  Capacity building  Social uses of research  Incubator for new research  Influence upon research agenda  Organization of research  Creation of participated research centres  Public uses of research

E UROPEAN S OCIOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION RN27 – R EGIONAL N ETWORK ON S OUTHERN E UROPEAN S OCIETIES C IVIL S OCIETY O RGANIZATIONS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN AREA : SOCIETAL ROLE, CHALLENGES, DYNAMICS Sassari 1-2 october 2012 Andrea Vargiu Università di Sassari Laboratorio Foist per le Politiche Sociali e i Processi Formativi PERARES Project Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society (FP7/ ) g. a. n° Possible impacts of civic engagement of universities (2) AmbitOutputsOutcomesOutreaches Impacts on CSOs  Satisfaction of demands  Quality of partnership and of relationships  Satisfactions of needs  Changes in attitudes towards science  Legal success  Product, service or organizational innovation  Empowerment  Creation of new organizations or partnerships Impacts on community  Satisfaction of demands  Knowledge communication, dissemination and sharing  Uses of research results  Satisfaction of community needs  Operationalization of research results  Medium term influence upon decisional processes  Attitudes towards science  Knowledge sharing and diffusion  Trust in science  Active citizenship  Long term influence upon decisional processes  Research based policies and practices  Diffusion of social consciousness and civic responsibility  Cultural and intellectual enrichment  Social welfare