Community engagement at the University of Brighton David Wolff Director, Community University Partnership Programme (Cupp), University of Brighton Professor Angie Hart Academic Director, Cupp

4 year funding to set up Cupp from ‘The Atlantic Philanthropies’, from March 2003 Brighton & Sussex Community Knowledge Exchange began August 2004, supported by Higher Education Innovation Funds Cupp infrastructure funded by University of Brighton from April 2007 South East Coastal Communities began January 2008 funded by Higher Education Funding Council

Ininin key academic debates Purpose of higher education institutions Contribution to locality Widening participation Student experience Applied research and research assessment Funding models Social capital Partnership working in complex environments Communities of practice Audit and evaluation Piloting Bradford model

“to become recognised as a leading UK university for the quality and range of its work in economic and social engagement and productive partnerships”. Aim 3. Corporate Plan Cupp Aims Ensure that the University's resources (intellectual and physical) are available to, informed by and used by its local and sub-regional communities Enhance the community's and University's capacity for engagement for mutual benefit Ensure that Cupp’s resources are prioritised towards addressing inequalities within our local communities

Snapssnapshot before Cupp (pre 2003) University formed from a combination of local trade colleges. Historical emphasis on vocational and applied work A number of committed, engaged academics working individually with the community and without explicit support from the institution No central and formalised links with community groups although pockets of activity Minimal reference to community engaged scholarship in the corporate plan No committed central funding for community engagement No coherent community engagement philosophy Scepticism from community and university about the worth of investing in community-university relations

Snapshot: Jan 09 Expanded Helpdesk enquiries from community organisations to date 300 plus students annually involved in community engagement projects as formal part of their learning 90 plus knowledge exchange partnership projects initiated Over 120 academics actively involved with Cupp, including a strong cross-institution senior researchers group (including 6 professors) A dozen active communities of practice (for example: older people, children and families, lesbian and gay community) A dedicated and centrally funded infrastructure supporting community engagement Structured links with community groups through co-ownership of governance, co-ownership of projects, strong involvement in communities of practice, co-delivery of research seminars and fora Extensive dissemination: Book, papers, films, conferences Winner Times Higher Education award for outstanding contribution to local community 2008

Cupp support team - 4 co-located development managers, 2 administrators and a Director Academic directorship - 2 senior academics located in academic departments (combined.4 fte) with research assistant support Helpdesk – access point to university and responsive service to enquirers Student community engagement – curriculum development that enable students to work on community projects Knowledge Exchange -significant projects that involve community university partnership Communities of practice – clusters of projects centred around a key theme How we organise

Access to Art project

learning points Win-wins: Mutually beneficial outputs Define it ‘in the doing’ Play to the community’s and university’s strengths: Programme designed with local picture in mind Court community and academic practitioners: We invested a lot of time and energy in relationship building and offering things Bi-cameral structure works for us Use short term projects as base for long term relationship building Use community-university brokers: we need people who understand both environments and speak both languages Emphasise ‘practice’ and relationships rather than organisational form or structure: ‘Communities of practice Manage change within the university Top down and bottom up support required Centrally owned and locally hosted within a school Stop moaning and get on with it

Cupp conference Shared passion - different perspective 2 nd and 3 rd April 2009 Brighton Cupp news Sign up for updates “Community university partnerships in practice” Edited by Angie Hart, Elizabeth Maddison and David Wolff