Universities and community engagement: position paper

This statement aims to inform governments, members of the higher education community and their external partners and members of the broader community about AUCEA's position on community engagement. The statement does not seek to constrain definitions of engagement, but rather to acknowledge the full range of engagement activities pursued by Australian universities. Engaged universities are essential for Australia's economic and social future. While universities interact with their communities in a range of ways, university-community engagement specifically implies collaborative relationships leading to productive partnerships that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. A university's communities can include many groups such as businesses, industries, professional associations, schools, governments, alumni, indigenous and ethnic communities as well as groups of local citizens