​​The Division for Social Impact recently held a workshop to discuss key aspects of University-Community Collaboration with Professor Thomas Bryer from the School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida.

Managing the expectations of partners and communities it vital. It was noted that communities need jobs, education, safety, while universities need research outputs. Finances can also be a challenges in terms of what communities expect of a university. It is important to acknowledge that resources exist within a university in the form of expertise and among partners in the form of expertise, contexts and target groups amongst other things. It is useful to provide partners with realistic options in terms of delivery from the university’s side.

Measuring impact is also an important issue. How does one measure social impact? “It is important for researchers to interrogate what their research has done for society. Ideally one needs longitudinal studies in terms of the work of a university with partners and the impact thereof on the university and its partners as beneficiaries of the engagement,” said Prof Bryer. “It would be important to intentionally identify areas of development in terms of impact. We need to know what the outcomes of the engagements of Stellenbosch University and partners are - so that we can see where the indirect impacts are and what aspects can be taken up for future engagement,” said Renee Hector-Kannemeyer, Deputy Director: Social Impact and the Head of Matie Community Service.

The criteria for partnership development is important for a successful partnerships and impact. Partnerships should ideally progress from cooperation, to coordination and then to collaboration.

If one considers the return on engagement, a key question needs be asked - have community members participated willingly and openly and have staff and students been involved and learned from the experience? 

Fundraising can be challenging in an increasingly constrained environment and innovative thinking needs to be applied. Relationships remain important in this regard, as well as telling the stories of the impact.

Higher Education seeks to develop socially connected, politically intelligent, socially aware and economically self-sufficient individuals who can contribute to building strong communities and contribute to society at large. The challenge is to integrate all the different roles of a university, in a meaningful, beneficial way.