Other Universities Waking up to Engagement
11 September 2004
It's fascinating to observe how the view of a university has
changed across the last decade.
When workshops and community forums were conducted in the
planning period for USC in 1994-1995, the overwhelming message I
received was that the Sunshine Coast wanted a university that was
regionally engaged. They wanted this University to address not only
the lack of educational opportunity, but social and economic issues
as well, not least creating good full time jobs.
At that time, that was a fairly novel message for a regional
community to communicate. It also proved inspirational and it has
been a pervasive theme in our decade of development. It influences
our teaching, our research, and our attempts to shape the nature of
Sippy Downs generally, both on and off campus.
What has been fascinating about the decade, however, is seeing
how just about every university in the world, now regards itself as
'engaged', although most are struggling to put the rhetoric into
practice.
No self-respecting academic or any reputable university should
view engagement as parochial or limiting. Regions and universities
world-wide are connecting more with each other, and are sharing
their knowledge, research and issues with each other to solve
international problems.
'Community', 'regional' or 'engaged' are now terms used in
international documents guiding the development of higher
education, such as those produced by the Association of
Commonwealth Universities and OECD.
Regionally engaged universities have been increasingly
successful in gaining funding support, so it's not surprising that
even the 'sandstone' universities are now acquiring regional
campuses, and seeking funds on the basis of their regional
engagement, to top up their funds in order to carry out high level
teaching and research on their major campuses.
In a national conference recently one eminent speaker said what
our community on the Sunshine Coast said ten years ago, that is,
universities should not be 'islands unto themselves, rather they
are community manifestations'. Such centres or 'sub-cities' need to
be sustainable and liveable, and there must be 'cultural and social
utilities'.
Other universities and regions are trying to catch up with USC,
and a philosophy that has driven, not only this University, but the
Development Control Plan for Sippy Downs, the Urban Design Master
Plan, and now the move to create a unique urban village with
education, research and technology, alongside a commercial and
mixed-density residential centre, close to an environmentally
unique National Park and University.
The University is not, therefore, and never has been for just an
educated or research elite working in isolation. We have regional
obligations and through both our academic work and community
outreach we try, albeit gradually, to make a qualitative
difference.
If we take just one recent example: the Art Gallery. There is
now a steady stream of residents visiting outstanding exhibitions
in the new community funded gallery, sponsored by Coastline BMW,
and the exhibitions are overseen by many volunteers. People visit
out of interest, sit and have a coffee at the new brasserie, watch
the kangaroos, and go for walks around the lakes.
We welcome this, and all we ask is that people respect this
environment as many of us do - domestic pets and litter are
anathema.
Many people now visit the University and this is the kind of
interest and interaction that we want to happen.
We have been true to what you asked us to do. And we hope we
will continue to get your support, from across the whole region,
from Caboolture to Gympie, to continue to build an increasingly
engaged University that becomes one of the regions most prized
possessions.
Professor Paul Thomas is Vice-Chancellor of University of
the Sunshine Coast