Educating students for effective community engagement: student perspectives on curriculum imperatives for universities in South Africa

Abstract

The public sector, including higher education institutions (HEIs), has a critical role to play in the national post-apartheid transformation agenda in South Africa. With the formalisation of community engagement (CE) as a core function of HEIs, universities are now required to contribute to the socioeconomic development of communities and to promote students' social and civic responsibilities through community engagement. Students are viewed as both agents and beneficiaries of community engagement.We propose that students of HEIs in South Africa have to be educated and prepared for engaging with communities, otherwise the potential to cause harm (albeit unintentional), specifically to previously disadvantaged communities, is real. Based on our proposal, this article presents the findings of exploratory research conducted for developing curricula to prepare students for community engagement practice and scholarship at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), in the Eastern Cape.Students currently involved in various forms of community engagement and areas of scholarship were purposefully selected from both the rural and urban campuses of UFH. The research asked the following question: What should be the nature and form of education/preparation of students, for the different kinds of CE activities and scholarship undertaken at UFH? The notion of ubuntu formed the philosophical base, with holistic education as the theoretical foundation of the study. The research drew from the scholarship of Barnett and Coate (2005) on the three functions of university curricula -knowing, acting and being -which we deem well suited to the functions of community engagement in the South African context.

Community engagement and accounting education research

“…For example, local communities can gain insight into living more sustainably or reducing their potential negative impact on the environment (Shiel, Filho, Do Paco & Brandli, 2015), having the joint effect of educating the community, adding value to their future and enabling them to build upon the skills gained. In terms of involvement in the community, students become both agents and beneficiaries (Maistry & Thakrar, 2012) as they enhance the lives of others, and also gain practical experience in the process. It can be a symbiotic relationship that stimulates learning while benefitting various role-players in the process (Militello, Ringler, Hodgkins & Hester, 2017).…”

“…As part of the initial process, students must prepare for their role in the community project (Maistry & Thakrar, 2012). They can cause harm to the communities if they cannot deliver on their promises.…”

“…They can cause harm to the communities if they cannot deliver on their promises. Most of the students in a study by Maistry and Thakrar (2012) believed that preparation is important and that a module on community engagement could be beneficial. Giving the students a thorough briefing and induction before the start of the community engagement projects and initiatives can enhance students' learning and experience (Canziani, 2014).…”

We Can’t Be Here Forever”: University Students’ Reflections on Terminating Community-Engagement Relationships

“…In the university's engagement with communities through CE projects, students are perceived as a pivotal link with the community; as major participants in CE, students represent the university while also affecting and benefitting from the social-educational process at a personal level (Maistry & Thakrar, 2012). International studies show students' experiences of CE as being transformative, enhancing their personal and professional development (Chupp & Joseph, 2010;Kiely, 2005;Knapp, Fisher & Levesque-Bristol, 2010).…”

O Processo De Mudança Em Uma Instituição De Ensino Superior Sobre a Ótica Da Responsabilidade Social Universitária

“…No meio acadêmico, a responsabilidade social está voltada para o engajamento do ensino, da pesquisa e da extensão em atendimento de questões sociais emergentes e ao desenvolvimento da sociedade (Salminen & Ikola-Norrbacka, 2009;Tetřevová, 2010;Aldeanueva Fernández, 2011;Saran, Coşkunb, Zorel, & Aksoy, 2011;Maistry & Thakrar, 2012;Ray, 2013). Os estudos nacionais reforçam a discussão sobre o papel das Instituições de O processo de mudança em uma instituição de ensino superior sobre a ótica da responsabilidade social universitária Adriela de Marchi, Miguel Angel Verdinelli, Cristhiane Martins Lima, Patrinês Aparecida França Zonatto e Vinícius Costa da Silva Zonatto Ensino Superior como agentes sociais no processo de desenvolvimento local e regional, destacando-se a sociedade, o ambiente e a economia, que são integrados e se reforçam mutuamente (Pinto, 2008(Pinto, , 2013Reis & Bandos, 2012;Berto, 2013;Sousa, Bortolotti, Pinho & Bilich, 2013;Da Cunha Ribeiro, 2013a, 2013bRibeiro & Magalhães, 2014).…”