Community engagement was recently formalised nationally as a core function of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. It takes its place as a core function in universities together with teaching, learning and research.
One of the critical aims of community engagement is to foster civic and social responsibility in students
Community engagement was recently formalised nationally as a core function of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. It takes its place as a core function in universities together with teaching, learning and research.
One of the critical aims of community engagement is to foster civic and social responsibility in students
focusing on the holistic education of students at the higher education level.
By engaging with communities and their development, students are provided with opportunities to learn about themselves, share and exchange knowledge, use their talents and skills for the benefit of others and
contribute towards building future communities of which they will be a part.
The Council for Higher Education views community engagement as “initiatives and processes through which the expertise of the institution in the areas of teaching and research are applied to address issues relevant to its community”.
Dr Saleem Badat, Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University says that “community engagement provides the opportunities to put our [staff and students of the university]commitments into practice and to exemplify our values through deeds and action.
It is an attempt to harness the social commitment, knowledge, expertise and skills of our staff and students and put them to work to forge mutually respectful, beneficial and reciprocal relationships with defined constituencies, institutions, organisations, groups and individuals”.
In line with the mission of the university, community engagement aims to “foster the allround development of our students”. The emphasis is on reciprocal relationships between the university community (staff and students) and external groups, including organisations, institutions and individuals.
Students and staff of the university acquire greater awareness and understanding of social reality and are able to apply knowledge to real life situations, thereby learning and building on existing knowledge, not
only in their field of study, but also about themselves as human beings and in their understanding
of the world.
The external partners benefit with improved capacity through the shared knowledge, skills, talents and resources of university staff and students to address some of the problems and challenges confronting the local community.
The interaction with communities adds a practical dimension to what students learn through books, lectures and written papers.
Community engagement activities promote leadership development and prepare students for the work environment as values of respect, acceptance of diversity, commitment and teamwork are put into practice and new skills are learnt.
Dr Badat states that community engagement assists the institution “to give further expression to the idea
of universities promoting critical and democratic citizenship, contributing to widening educational and social opportunities and to local economic and social development, and advancing the public good”.
Rhodes University fulfils an active role in the development of Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape communities through focused and targeted interventions within its areas of expertise.
The university is involved in a wide and diverse range of community initiatives in the Eastern Cape,
through both staff and students.
These take place on many different levels, from involvement at government policy level and ground breaking research to practical, effective intervention at a local community level.
Community engagement at Rhodes University mainly takes the form of student volunteerism, service learning and outreach programmes, centrally co-ordinated through the Community Engagement Unit and networked with its community development partners, which include NGOs, CBOs, institutions, government and the private sector.
Outstanding Community Engagement programmes include the Legal Aid clinics in Grahamstown and Queenstown as well as the work that the Rhodes Mobile Biology Laboratory and the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project are doing in raising marks in under-resourced Eastern Cape schools.
Some projects have been commended by local and provincial government and have enjoyed international acclaim, particularly the work of the Environmental Education and Sustainability Unit.
Dr Badat has, since his arrival in 2006, identified two major community partnerships, one with Makana Municipality and the other with local high schools, which he sees as priority projects for university participation and support.
As such the university is currently engaged in ongoing discussions with Makana Municipality and other community partners regarding strategic interventions such as the proposed Makana Edutourism Partnership and a multifaceted strategic intervention geared at channelling intellectual resources and support to the seven historically disadvantaged high schools in Grahamstown east.
Community partner organisations include the Raphael Centre, St Mary’s Aftercare Centre, Famsa,
CSD Pre-schools and Multi-purpose Centre, Love Reading Clubs, Upstart and Grahamstown Community Libraries.
Students can get involved in community engagement activities through their halls and residences, service societies or sports clubs and through university departments such as chemistry, pharmacy, drama, economics and computer science.
An example of a project initiated by the warden and students of a residence is the Lilian Ngoyi Hall (LNH) Community Vegetable Garden Project which was nominated in December 2009 for the Mac Jannet Prize based in the international Talloires Network of universities which recognises exceptional student civic engagement initiatives.
Whether through existing departmental projects, residence initiatives, clubs and societies, the High Schools Tutoring Initiative, or the CE’s Student Volunteer Programme, there are a variety of avenues for students to get involved during their time at Rhodes.
The fast-expanding Student Volunteer Programme (SVP) is one such programme of community engagement available to students.
The SVP gives students an opportunity to go beyond their academic environment and take their particular
skills to NGOs and schools in the Grahamstown community.
In the past, it has been found that due to their multiple course loads, first year students find it difficult to fit volunteering into their timetable.
As they often have residence, sports and society commitments and need time to adapt to the university routine. As a result students in their second, third and fourth years are given preference over those in first year when allocating the available placements.
Students can choose their involvement according to their interests and skills. Ultimately students who become volunteers will have fun while making a difference in their own lives and the lives of others by getting involved with the community in a meaningful way.
All students who wish to volunteer will have to attend an orientation/ training programme so that they are well prepared for their placement. An awards function is organised at the end of the year where student
volunteers who meet the requirements are awarded with certificates.
The reflection below from student volunteers is an indication of the value of community involvement to the students and others: “Volunteering has helped me utilise my time better and made me realise that there is more to life than just academics.
I had an opportunity to get to know the community, especially the children and the challenges they face in terms of school.” “I got a chance to improve basic skills like communication and interpersonal skills.”
“It helped me develop my skills of thinking fast on my feet. It helped me gain patience and understanding for people who come from a different background then myself."
“By working with visually impaired people, it has made me more aware of the challenges they face and how competent they still are.”
“…but most importantly I learnt that life is not always about me and it does not have to be. I also learnt to take people seriously and to understand their worth”.
How to get involved: Application forms and handbook are available online: http://www.ru.ac.za/communityengagement/svp/howtoapply. For further information visit the community engagement
offices located at 5 Prince Alfred Street.
