Transcript Slide 1

University- Community
Interaction
Khaled S. Al-Sultan
Rector, King Fahd University of
Petroleum & Minerals
November 28, 2004
Introduction
 Provides interaction between the university and the community.
 Addresses issues that confront a community such as health,
environment, hunger, mentoring, aging, the disabled, literacy,
economic, manufacturing and service problems, etc.
 Breaks barriers of misunderstanding and develops awareness of
a community need.
 Increases awareness of the link between university and
community.
 Provides great potential for mutual benefits.
 Provides students, faculty, staff and alumni with opportunities to
address the critical concerns of the community.
The Roles of the University
Transfer or dissemination
of knowledge
Application of knowledge
Teaching
Community
Service
Creation of knowledge
Research
The University Model
(Historical Perspective)
The Islamic University (800’s – 1000’s).
The Medieval University (1100’s – 1300’s).
The Renaissance University (1400’s – 1700’s).
The Land-grant University (1800’s – 1900’s).
The Modern University (1900’s – 2000’s).
The outreach
university
The engaged
university
The productive
university
The Engaged University Model
The engaged university is a recent perspective of higher
education for urban universities.
 It supports research and teaching to address specific needs of
the community.
 It integrates the teaching, research, and service functions of
the university in an interdisciplinary manner.
 It promotes partnerships with public agencies and the
community for broad public affairs and civic interests.
 It engages its faculty, students, and staff with interests outside
the university as it develops new ways to pursue its functions.
The above is done in an institutional and strategic way, and not
just ad-hoc in individual courses, projects or partnerships.
Benefits
Students Benefits
 Students get much more experience than they expect.
 Have a unique way of developing an individual's leadership skills,
sense of community, self-esteem, and other personal
characteristics.
 Increases students learning, personal skills and professional
development.
 Enhances students communication and team work skills.
 An opportunity to explore possible careers and experience the
“real-world”.
 Foster mutual learning & prepare students for responsible
citizenship.
Benefits
Students Benefits Cont.
 Provide chances to link classroom to real life.
 An opportunity to gain hands on experience.
 Challenges the way a student thinks about himself and the World
around him.
 An opportunity to know and work with people different than
themselves.
 Encourages active and responsible membership in the community.
Benefits
Faculty Benefits
 An opportunity to gain practical experience that can be reflected
in the classroom teaching.
 Provide a source of interesting ideas and challenging problems
to address and incorporate in course instruction.
 A vehicle for empowerment.
 Provide potential for growth and leadership.
 Encourage active and responsible membership.
 An opportunity to develop contacts.
 Awareness and understanding of the mutual interplay of current
practices.
 Identification of areas of further attention and new directions.
Benefits
Benefits to the University
 Fulfill its obligation towards the community.
 Contribute to the economic development and advancement of local
communities and the nation.
 Help in financing some programs.
 Enhance and broaden the education of the next generation of
scientists and engineers.
 Facilitate the university’s active involvement as a trusted member
of the community.
 Facilitate commercialization of the results of the university
research.
Benefits
Benefits to Community.
 The community gains resources and services.
 Transfer of knowledge from students and faculty to community
members.
 Influence direction of research.
 Awareness and access to new technologies.
 Influence of curriculum development.
 Access to highly skilled faculty members and students (graduate
seniors).
 Better evaluation of students competence.
 Networking.
 Potential savings.
Opportunities
Community Service experience will provide persons involved with
the opportunity to:
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Think critically and solve problems.
Recognize and address the needs of the community.
Personal Development.
Make a difference.
Learn to care about people with different cultures and life styles.
Experience the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile for the
community.
Explore career options.
Participation in achieving the organization's goals.
Understand and study relevant issues in practice.
Transfer of knowledge.
KFUPM Efforts
I Teaching and Training.
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Short Courses.
Diploma Program.
Community Colleges.
Course Sponsorship.
Executive Training.
Personal skills program.
Gifted Students Program.
KFUPM Efforts
I. Teaching and Training [Cont.]
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Tutoring youth ages six to seventeen and participate in
recreational activities.
Assisting foreign residents in their understanding of the
Countries language and enhance their experience in the
country.
English Language Center.
Summer activities.
KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)
II. Research, Consulting, and Innovation
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Research Institute.
Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz Science Park.
Entrepreneurship program.
Business Incubator.
Funded Chairs.
Tackling problems of importance to the community.
Societal studies in topics of interest to the community.
Publishing and authoring books and pamphlets on
subjects of interest to the community.
KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)
II. Research, Consulting, and Innovation [Cont.]
 Consultation services for Private and Pubic Sector
Organizations.
 Holding public lectures and seminars on the subject of
interest to the community.
 Organizing workshops and discussion forums on
subjects of interest to the community.
 Organizing conferences and symposia.
KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)
III. Others
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Access to the library.
Organizing sports activities that are open to public.
Access to physical education facilities.
Participation in committees and boards.
High school students visits to KFUPM departments.
Organizing exhibitions of interest to the public.
University Schools.
University Kindergarten and nursery.
Advisory bodies for departments and colleges.
Scientific societies.
Introducing the wonders of science to the elementary
school students with different hands-on experiments.
Concerns in University-Community Interaction
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There is a risk of loosing the university’s objectivity and
credibility.
There is a risk of overdoing it where the university is
entrusted to solve problems which are not amenable to
knowledge-intensive educational effort, or if the university
does not command the needed knowledge.
The university obviously has limitations, which may not be
apparent to the community.
The university could become training institute and a
consulting office.
The university may loose control over faculty.
The university may become more interested in making
money than advancing and disseminating knowledge, and
protecting integrity.
Conclusions
Suggestions for boosting University-Community Interaction
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Increase funding for projects addressing community issues.
Support training initiatives to identify best practices, models,
and needs of partnership.
Establish (strengthen) community service centers at
universities.
Identify and support a reward structure for both community
and academic participants.
Encourage alliances and consortia.
Thank You