Community engagement challenges and perceptions in private higher education institutions
Flip Schutte
Abstract
This paper focuses on the challenges and perceptions related to community engagement in private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in South Africa. Community engagement is now considered as important as teaching and learning, as well as research and innovation at universities. The Council on Higher Education expects formal engagement from public and private higher education institutions. However, PHEIs face unique challenges such as resource constraints, conflicting priorities, lack of tradition, and differing perceptions of community engagement. The study used qualitative data collection methods, including desktop research and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five academics from different PHEIs. The findings emphasised the need for PHEIs to develop strategies to build sustainable relationships with their communities despite these challenges.
Keywords
engaged scholarship, sustainable projects, student engagement, academic workload, community-engaged research
Author information & Contribution
Flip Schutte. A professor at Stadio Higher Education, South Africa, where he is the research dean and head of the Institute for Postgraduate Studies. He is responsible for the doctoral programme, internationalisation and community engagement. He currently specialises in research methodology. His other interests are entrepreneurship, coaching and mentoring, and institutional research in higher education. Email: flips@stadio.ac.za
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Data and Materials Availability
AI Declaration
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
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Cite this article:
Schutte, F. (2024). Community engagement challenges and perceptions in private higher education institutions. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 4(4), 40-57. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353124
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