General Definitions
Community (Michigan State University, 2021):
Groups of people who share commonalities, including:
- Geography
- Identity
- Affiliation or interest
- Circumstance
- Profession or practice
- Faith
- Family/kin
Engagement (Klein & Woodell, 2015)
Scholarly activities that employ the knowledge and resources of colleges and universities and of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.
Engaged University (National Co-ordinating Center for Public Engagement, 2021)
- Actively involves the public in the research activity of the institution,
- Develops teaching activities which positively impact the community and enhance student engagement skills,
- Increases the two-way flow of knowledge and insight between the university and wider society,
- Seeks to maximize the benefits that the institution can generate for the public.
Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. (Kolb, 1984)