When university and college departments design new academic programmes, there is a strict requirement that they should hold stakeholders meetings or conferences where stakeholders’ observations and recommendations are incorporated into the proposed programmes.
Higher education accreditation bodies such as the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) will not allow universities and colleges to implement proposed academic programmes without the written endorsement from stakeholders, no matter how academic the programmes may appear. This is why quality assurance managers at universities and colleges ensure that programme designers meet this requirement at all costs.
This strict requirement goes to show that universities and colleges do not exist in a vacuum; it shows that the local communities in which they operate are of great importance to the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Universities and colleges must therefore form partnerships with the communities in which they operate so that their students get meaningful education from the academic programmes they choose to study.
The term ‘university-community partnerships’ I use in this article refers also to partnerships that colleges may forge with their local communities for the purposes of enhancing their academic programmes. Scholars have defined university-community partnerships in different but related ways.
For the purpose of this article, I found the following definition appropriate. Eckerle Curwood et al. (2011, p.16) defined university-community partnerships as “collaborations between community organizations and institutions of higher education for the purpose of achieving an identified social change goal through community-engaged scholarship that ensures mutual benefit for the community organization and the university.”
The emphasis in university-community partnerships is on mutuality, the mutual benefit of communities and colleges and communities. This symbiotic relationship is borne when the players respect what they bring in the academic relationship without one player playing the ‘big brother’ role. In my research I have come across scholarly writings which denounce some universities and colleges for operating like ivory towers in their communities, secluding community organisations.
Such elitist behaviour of some universities and colleges has been described as anachronistic and backward. According to the research carried out by Heloise Sathora and Deldre Geduld (2021), “University community engagement in South Africa continues to be characterized by universities engaging with communities to extract data to further their own research agenda and, in the process, not acknowledging community needs and also not contributing to sustainable benefits for the community.” This behaviour is not fit for the universities and colleges of the 21st century.
Other studies have shown positive results that accrue for both universities and colleges and communities where there are mutual collaborations between these entities. One might ask: What constitutes community organisations when it comes to the subject of university-community partnerships? Universities and colleges often form partnerships with government ministries, parastatals and agencies in order to enhance their academic programmes. Experts from these entities are crucial to the successful implementation of programmes. For example, government hospitals offer internship to students on health programmes. Schools are the right places for student teachers from universities and colleges; they get the real world of the teaching profession from schools. Municipalities usually offer opportunities for university and college students in various fields of study. Creating partnerships with local industries is also healthy for universities and colleges. Trainee engineers, for instance, need placement in industry to get practice and make learning meaningful.
Other community organisations which play a pivotal role in higher education are non-governmental organisations, both local and international NGOs. In all the given examples, the goal is for universities and colleges to collaborate with local communities in initiating projects which benefit both parties.
In conclusion, I would like to refer to Cooper and Orrell (2006, p. 109) who summed up the essence of university-community partnerships as “the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich partnership, 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.” My parting advice to universities and colleges is that they should forge working partnerships with community organisations for the benefit of their students and society.
*Professor Jairos Kangira is a professor of English at the University of Namibia. E-mail address: kjairos@gmail.com