Irish higher education institutions have engaged since their beginnings with other social, cultural and economic actors, at local, regional and national levels. the importance of ‘engagement’ in all its facets is now recognised by the national strategy for higher education, 2030 which states that: “higher education institutions should have open engagement with their community and wider society and this should infuse every aspect of their mission”.
| Campus Engage has been established by Irish higher education institutions to provide a national platform for the enhancement and co-ordination of civic and community engagement across the sector. It will share best practice and drive national and regional coordinated initiatives in the areas of community-based research and learning, student volunteering and the sharing of knowledge and resources with wider society. |
This Charter for Civic and Community Engagement is designed to capture some of the basic principles and the underlying purpose of engagement with wider society as well as with enterprise. It is signed by the Presidents of Ireland’s higher education institutions as a sign of commitment to build on what has been achieved to date and place Ireland at the fore internationally in terms of promoting civic and community engagement in higher education. | The Charter will be accompanied by a menu of indicators, which can be of use to institutions in gauging if and how they are meeting the ten basic principles contained in the Charter. Each institution engages with enterprise and society in different ways and the indicators are not meant to be prescriptive. Rather, Campus Engage seeks to encourage diversity and pluralism in the complex and evolving world of civic and community engagement. |
