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From Engagement to Interconnectedness
- 1. HERANA From Engagement to Interconnectedness Preliminaryfindings from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University NMMU, 4 March 2014
- 2. Background ›› CHET HERANAI study »» Links between universities and economic development »» 8 African universities (including NMMU) »» small sample size (n≈6) »» ‘projects’ selected by leadership »» mixture of centres, programmes and projects »» unstructured interviews
- 3. Direct articulation HERANA I Findings 12 11 PBMR4, 10 MD 3, 10 10 9 AP 2, 8 1. While there was evidence of connectedness between the university and industry, this was generally confined to the level of units or centres rather than institutional-level partnerships. ACTS 5, 11 IV 5, 10 CB 3, 9 8 7 Weakening academic core 0 6 1 2 3 4 5 Strengthening academic 6 core 5 4 3 2 1 0 Indirect articulation Key: Abbreviation Project/centre ACTS Automotive Components Technology Station IV InnoVenton: NMMU Institute for Chemical Technology and Downstream Chemicals Technology Station PBMR Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Project AP Agro-Processing Study for the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) MD Govan Mbeki Sasol Mathematics Development Programme CB IlingeLomama Cooperative Bakery Project 2. Projects/centres tended to score well on the articulation indicators – in other words, they reflected national priorities (and to a lesser extent institutional objectives), had more than one funding source and, in some cases, plans for financial sustainability, and may have had a connection to an implementation agency. 3. A number of these projects/centres also managed to keep a strong connection to the academic core of the university, whilst some were more disconnected from these core knowledge activities. 4. There were ‘exemplary’ development projects/centres. The problem was scale: there were simply not enough, and some seemed overly dependent on exceptional individuals.
- 4. National context Chairperson: ProfessorD Lortan Tel: (031) 3732720 Fax: (031) 3732724 Email: dlortan@dut.ac.za Secretary: Mrs D Hornby Tel: (046) 6037229 Fax: (046) 6038869 Email: d.hornby@ru.ac.za ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19th February 2014 Professor Nico Cloete Director: CHET / Extraordinary Professor of Higher Education University of the Western Cape Cape Town WHITE PAPER FOR POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION AND TRAINING Dear Professor Cloete “Given budgetary and other resource constraints within higher education and the vastly different ways in which universities approach community engagement, it is likely that future funding of such initiatives in universities will be restricted...” (DHET, 2013: 39). The South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF) cordially invites you to present at its fourth seminar entitled ‘White Paper for Post-School Education, The National Development Plan Vision 2030, and The Future of University Community Engagement’. The Seminar will be hosted by the University of the Western Cape, 3rd – 4th April 2014. SEMINAR 4: WHITE PAPER FOR POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION, THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN VISION 2030, AND THE FUTURE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Universities in the round have potentially a pivotal role to play in the social and economic development of their regions. They are a critical ‘asset’ of the region; even more so in less favoured regions where the private sector may be weak or relatively small, with low levels of research and development activity (Goddard, 2011: viii). Given budgetary and other resource constraints within higher education and the vastly different ways in which universities approach community engagement, it is likely that future funding of such initiatives in universities will be restricted (DHET, 2013: 39). Despite the challenges of national policy disconnect, institutionalisation, funding, and conceptual clarity, the past two decades has seen an increase in the rhetoric and praxis of Community Engagement (CE) as ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Prof D Lortan (Durban University of Technology, Chairperson) Mrs D Hornby (Rhodes University, Secretary) Prof N Mollel (University of Limpopo, Vice-Chairperson) Dr J Boughey (University of Zululand, Treasurer) Prof V Netshandama (University of Venda) Mrs B Bouwman (North-West University, Marketing) Ms E Meyer-Adams (University of Johannesburg) Ms J Munsamy (Central University of Technology) “…funding will be restricted to programmes linked directly to the academic programme of universities, and form part of the teaching and research function of these institutions.” (DHET, 2013: 39).
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- 6. HERANA II: Researchquestion and limitations ›› Interconnectedness: How are academics negotiating the tension between engaging with those external to the academy and strengthening the core functions of the university? ›› The research project does not: »» assess the impact of engagement projects on communities »» assess the quality of engagement projects or their outputs
- 7. HERANA II: Noteson methodology ›› Two universities »» NMMU, Port Elizabeth »» Makerere University, Kampala ›› Larger sample sizes »» NMMU (n=80) »» Makerere (n=30) ›› Projects only (smallest unit of activity) ›› Projects selected across faculties ›› Structured questionnaires completed by leaders of engagement projects and follow-up meetings for clarification and input from participants ›› Indicators for articulation and for academic core developed; weighted scores for each. Each project plotted according their scores on these two dimensions
- 8. HERANA II: Theacademic core and the third mission ›› Some claim that the third mission of universities, i.e. providing services to the communities in which they are embedded, is a core function of universities. ›› It is both conceivable and possible for third mission activities to be carried out by organisations external to the university. »» Civil society, government agencies, corporate social responsibility initiatives as well as organisational structures created at the periphery of the university are all capable of delivering third mission-type services to communities. ›› Not so in the case of knowledge creation and, in particular, knowledge legitimisation and credentialling. These are unique to the university.
- 9. Indicators Articulation indicators A1 Alignment betweenproject and university development objectives A2 Initiation / agenda-setting A3 Links to external stakeholders and implementation agencies A4 Funding Academic core indicators C1 Application of existing knowledge versus creation of new knowledge C2 Dissemination of research findings C3 Links with teaching and with curriculum development C4 Academic networks
- 10. Weighted scores Articulation Indicators A1 Q Score Max score 1.00 Initiation/agenda-setting A2.1 Self-initiated= 1 1.00 Proposal more than one author = 0.5 0.50 Project plan / TOR flexible = 1 1.00 A2.7 A4 For each project objective in alignment with university mission/vision = 0.25 A2.3 A3 A1.1 A1.2 A1.3 A2.2 A2 Alignment between project and university development objectives Advisory group and meets at least once p.a. = 0.5 0.50 A2.6 A3.1.2 For each link to an external stakeholder = 0.25 1.00 A3.2 A3.3 A3.4 Direct link to implementation agency = 2 OR Indirect link to implementation agency = 1 OR Self-implemented = 1 2.00 A4.1 For each source of funding = 0.25 1.00 A4.1 Long-term funding (more than 3 years) = 0.5 0.50 A4.1 Renewable funding (at least one source) = 0.5 0.50 Links to external stakeholders (nonacademic) and to implementation agencies Funding
- 11. Academic Core Indicators C1 Max score 1.25 A1.4 C1.2.5 Publiclyavailable = 0.25 0.25 C2.1 C2.3.2 A1.4 Postgraduates linked to project = 0.5 0.50 C1.2.2 C1.2.3 C1.2.4 C1.2.6 C1.2.7 C1.2.8 C1.2.9 For each publication/presentation listed = 0.25 2.00 C3a Teaching/curriculum development C2.1 C2.2 Changes to courses/modules = 1 OR New courses/modules/programmes = 2 2.00 C3b Formal teaching/learning of students C2.3.1 C2.3.2 Students involved = 0.5 0.50 C2.4 Participation in project is course requirement = 1 1.00 C2.5 C2.6 C2.7 C2.8 Other roles for students in project = 0.25 per role 0.50 A3.1.1 Links to academics from other universities = 1 1.00 C4 Dissemination Links to academic networks C1.1 Score New knowledge or product = 1.25 OR New data = 0.5 C2 Generates new knowledge or product or data Q
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- 14. Interconnected Faculty of Science incl.InnoVenton TURTLES 9 9 8 8 7 7 ALGENERGY 6 WILLARD 5 CHICKLIT 4 3 3 MATHISP MATHMXIT On-going 5 4 BIOPLAST BIOLIQ 6 ENERGYIND REFFARMS TECHBLEND DIPCHEM 2 PRESPLANT 2 Complete 1 5+ 4.00–4.99 3.00–3.99 1 MATHSUP Academic core 0 0 BOARDWLK INULIN PSYSCI EXCEL 2.00–2.99 0–1.99 Duration of engagement project Disconnected Articulation
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- 17. Interconnected Faculty of Engineering, BuiltEnvironment IT VWMASTERS CHAIRHSD 9 9 8 8 GMMASTERS 7 6 6 RACE CHAIRED 5 SIEMTRN 4 TWERLY 3 ICTFET AIDC 4 DRMATH WELA 3 CONTI 2 On-going SOLARV 5 LIVLAB FAMHLTH 7 CHAIRVW TETRA 2 Complete 1 1 5+ 4.00–4.99 Academic core 0 0 3.00–3.99 2.00–2.99 0–1.99 Duration of engagement project Disconnected Articulation
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- 19. Interconnected Faculty of Engineering, BuiltEnvironment IT incl. EntSA VWMASTERS CHAIRHSD 9 9 8 8 GMMASTERS 7 6 6 LATEWLED RACE CHAIRED LIVLAB FSWTECHTRANS TWERLY UYILO 5 5 4 AIDC FSWPIPE 4 DRMATH WELA SUPDEV 3 CONTI 2 On-going SOLARV TURBINESIEMTRN WELDCOR FAMHLTH ICTFET 3 7 CHAIRVW TETRA 2 Complete 1 5+ 4.00–4.99 Academic core 1 STRLIGHT 0 0 SOUTHSTAR 3.00–3.99 RESTRESS 2.00–2.99 0–1.99 Duration of engagement project Disconnected Articulation
- 20. Interconnected Faculty of HealthSciences 9 9 8 8 7 7 PASSPORT MOBHLTHIS 6 5 5 4 MENTALILL 4 IZEOU 3 6 3 HLTHTRAIN 2 On-going 2 Complete 1 4.00–4.99 3.00–3.99 2.00–2.99 0–1.99 LCONINST MAXHLTH 5+ Academic core SOKHULA 0 0 LCONTEACH LCONTRAIN LCONENROL LCONMOD 1 LCONLAB Duration of engagement project Disconnected Articulation
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- 22. Interconnected NMMU 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 1 FACULTY Science Science: Innoventon 2 Academic core 1 0 0 Arts Business andEconomics Engineering, BE and IT Engineering: Entsa Health Education Disconnected Articulation
- 23. Initial observations ›› Projectsstill score higher on articulation than on strengthening the academic core (cf. HERANA I findings). But many projects still in the early phases, and therefore have the potential to score more highly on the academic core indicators as these projects mature ›› NMMU’s Africa development mission is not integrated into the university’s engagement project objectives ›› Engagement is mostly with regional stakeholders (particularly, government, industry and communities). No engagement with other universities regionally or nationally ›› Based on the current snapshot, Arts and Engineering are doing best in managing the tension between engaging externally and strengthening the core
- 24. ›› Importation ofresearch project management capacity. Does this reduce the likelihood of projects connecting more deeply with teaching and research output activities? ›› Possible lack of awareness in the project planning phase of the potential to link activities to the academic core?
- 25. Thank you. Francois vanSchalkwyk CHET Researcher francois@compressdsl.com