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Many longstanding and meaningful partnerships and collaborations exist between Queen’s University and its community partners but as indicated in Queen’s Strategy, strengthening local, national, and global connections and establishing new ones is essential for addressing real-world challenges, achieving shared goals, and for enhancing student learning and impact.

The Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor has appointed Wendy Craig, a professor in the Department of Psychology, as Special Advisor to the Principal on Community Engagement in an effort to highlight and enhance community engagement learning and research opportunities at Queen’s. Dr. Craig’s role will entail creating an inventory of community engagement already underway at Queen’s and bringing together staff and faculty doing this work to create connections and opportunities for further engagement. Dr. Craig will begin her work with a focus on community-based learning with a broad consultation across the campus to collect experiences, feedback, and ideas to inform a comprehensive environmental scan and identify what is already taking place.

“My first goal is to identify who is doing what and with whom in community engagement and to celebrate their stories and impact. I am thrilled to begin making connections, share ideas, experiences, and plan for even more opportunities to sustain and systemically prioritize this work,” says Dr. Craig. “The benefits and impact of community-based learning for all involved are enormous. Students receive enhanced training and hands-on experiences while developing their skills and networks. Communities gain new knowledge, capacity for research, evaluation, and potential solutions. Queen’s enhances student learning and research opportunities, interdisciplinary collaborations, and its impact in the community. Everyone wins.”

Queen’s Strategy speaks to a broad definition of community engagement that embeds partnerships and collaborations with communities into the academic mission. Community engagement entails everything from community-based learning to community service work, outreach, and training. Dr. Craig will work to bring all these facets of community engagement together in part through a community engagement council, that will be developed following the completion of the consultation process.

“It is through community engagement that we can become true catalysts for change by co-creating mutually beneficial learning experiences and co-producing knowledge in pursuit of real-world solutions,” says Principal Patrick Deane. “This is invaluable work and will build capacity for students to learn beyond the classroom working collaboratively with various communities beyond our institution.”

Email communityengagement@queensu.ca to participate by sharing experiences and providing input on your vision for community engagement. For more information, please visit the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor’s website.

Note: This article originally appeared in the Queen's Gazette.