Institutionalizing public engagement through research in UK universities: Perceptions, predictions and paradoxes concerning the state of the art

Richard Watermeyer, Jamie Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this article, we draw on open-text responses taken from an online attitudinal survey provided by public engagement (PE) professional service staff working across universities in the United Kingdom (UK). These are individuals employed to support and sometimes lead academic staff, principally research active academics, in PE activities. Their responses provide an insight into the current and future status of PE in UK higher education (HE) and shed light on the working lives of PE support staff and the various ‘professional’ and organizational challenges they face in attempting to embed and ameliorate PE activity within UK universities. More significantly, these accounts intimate the contraction and homogenization of the university mission, where the efficacy attributed to and investment made in PE is only guaranteed, when it is perceived as an undertaking that supports and ameliorates institutional competitiveness.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1612-1624
Number of pages13
JournalStudies in Higher Education
Volume43
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Sept 2018

Structured keywords

  • SoE Centre for Higher Education Transformations

Keywords

  • Academic practice
  • administrators
  • governance
  • institutional change
  • management

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