Senate Meeting - Wednesday 7 February
All members of staff are warmly invited to the presentation and discussion section of Senate, the theme of which will be ‘The University and its City: Partnering to Support Inclusion.’
This section poses a valuable opportunity for all staff members to consider and take part in discussion on a key strategic theme.
Tea and coffee will be served after the session.
Presentation and Discussion: The University and its City: Partnering to Support Inclusion
Since its inception in 1583, the University has always prided itself on being first and foremost a civic institution, firmly rooted within its City and functioning as a motive force for positive societal transformation.
The University’s current strategic plan – Delivering Impact for Society, 2016 – includes ‘contributing locally’ as one of its four development themes.
At this meeting of Senate we will explore different models of community engagement and how they intersect with core University business (research; learning and teaching; and knowledge exchange, public engagement and outreach).
In support of this a range of student projects will be showcased through film and an exhibition (to be held in the Atrium at the end of the presentations and discussion).
Local contribution
The meeting will also enable Senate to debate the challenges and opportunities presented by our strategic commitment to ‘contribute locally’.
Key questions for discussion will be:
- What opportunities are presented by the community engagement components of the strategic plan to enhance the student experience (including skills development) and sense of belonging (building community) via curricular reform, modes of pedagogy and research-infused teaching?
- What are the challenges involved in evaluating our community engagement activities with a view to up-scaling, sustaining and measuring their impact?
- How do we practically embed the concept of co-production into our core business, by empowering rather than overwhelming local community groups?
- How can we better engage alumni in these new and exciting opportunities?
Speakers
What ‘contributing locally’ means for the University and its communities
Professor Lesley McAra (Assistant Principal Community Relations)
Different models of engagement linked to core University business
(i) Homeless Health and Inclusion Centre
Dr Fiona Cuthill (School of Health in Social Science)
(ii) The Edinburgh Gateway Project
Professor Remo Pedreschi (Edinburgh College of Art)
(iii) The Mastercard Foundation Community Projects
Johanna Holtan (Programme Manager, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme)
(iv) Building Local Innovation Hubs, Ecosystems and Platforms
Professor Andy Kerr (Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation)
(v) The Hunter Square Project
Professor Lesley McAra
Meeting details
Wednesday 7 February 2018, 14.00 – 16.00, Informatics Forum, Crichton Street
Members of staff who are interested in attending the meeting must book a place through MyEd due to venue capacity requirements.