Perceptions of the Faculty of Science, Health and Education staff about the practice of community engagement

Community engagement is a well established component of the core business of universities that enables them to connect and work with their communities. Universities are expected to achieve economic and social objectives, and contribute to community functioning and sustainability. As resources decline and social needs increase communities are increasingly looking for partners to address social, economic and environmental issues. Community engagement is a significant strategy for the progress of communities. Universities and their stakeholders need to have a clear understanding of what community engagement is in order to achieve their shared community engagement goals and objectives. Therefore universities need to be proactive in determining what their staff perceive the practice of community engagement to be. In order to enhance the community engagement practices of Faculty of Science, Health and Education (FoSHE) staff at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), the Dean of the Faculty instigated a research project focused on better understanding these practices within the Faculty.Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2011