A Quality Framework for University Engagement in Australia

Universities are among the diverse stakeholders invested in making collaborative responses to the complex and interrelated issues of the 21st century, stakeholders public participation efforts do well to remember. For two decades, the need for universities to develop stronger external linkages with other stakeholders has been recognized. Many universities have already responded to this engagement imperative, using a variety of terms to describe it, for example, community engagement. Thus far, the literature focuses on the ad hoc initiatives taken at individual institutional levels, and is missing any larger institutional frameworks to direct and support these university engagement initiatives. A collaborative developmental process among Australian universities, specifically focusing on quality management of university engagement in Australia, serves as an initial response to close the gap, including a model and principles reported here. The University Engagement Quality Management (UEQM) framework provides a conceptual foundation for institutional level responses relating to the planning, management and reporting of quality engagement in Australian universities. The quality framework is only a beginning, while challenges to operationalize it will extend into the future as universities further mature in their public engagement programming.