Strategic Research Plan 2015-2020

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[Cover page] Logo | Research at the Faculty of Extension: 2015-2020 Strategic Research Plan (Watermark: Draft)

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Executive Summary With over 100 years of rich history, the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta is driven by a commitment to fulfill our mandate of “uplifting of the whole people to inspire the human spirit for the public good” by promoting “community engagement, near and far.” The distinguishable characteristic of research at the Faculty of Extension is our expertise in the study and practice of engagement, which transcends disciplinary and sectoral boundaries  in particular, our expertise in rigorous theorization of effective engagement practices. Succinctly, our distinction is that we are “engagement scholars” that practice through an interdisciplinary and community lens!

As a faculty of interdisciplinary scholars, our strengths encompass scholarship and practice of engagement, capacity-building, knowledge mobilization, social justice, and community development, as well as communication and technology, planning and sustainable development, and language and globalization, to name a few. We collaborate with a broad range of community and academic partners to engage, inform, and enrich our research and scholarship activities. For example, the Faculty of Extension supports lasting partnerships and community research collaborations through our unique and respected research centres. These centres operate as inclusive portals for fostering shared research, knowledge mobilization, and capacity building in our communities.

Through a series of strategic planning retreats in 2015 and early 2016, we have identified our priorities and intentions for the next five years, laying the groundwork for a unified research strategy. This Strategic Research Plan represents a collective voice of faculty whose expertise, resources, and actions will make our vision a reality.

Our Strategic Research Plan comprises a set of shared values, a central goal, objectives, actions, and desired impacts. First, our VALUES reflect the innovative, interdisciplinary, and community-engaged character of research in the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta: • Responsive to community needs • Boundary spanning • Social justice and reconciliation • Capacity building • Diverse forms of knowledge • Integration of discovery/research, learning/teaching, and citizenship/service Our GOAL is to advance engagement scholarship in collaborative ways, in order to achieve our mission and actualize our vision. This builds on the vision and mission defined in the Faculty of Extension’s most recent Academic Plan (2009-2014): “VISION: To be an exemplary centre for the scholarship and practice of community-university engagement. MISSION: To provide leadership for social and individual betterment through community-university collaborations in learning, discovery, and citizenship.”

Importantly, in the University of Alberta’s Institutional Strategic Plan: For the Public Good, “Engage” is identified as one of the five succinct actions, while engagement is central to one of the five institutional goals.

We have identified four key OBJECTIVES to inform our strategic priorities. All of these objectives integrate community-university engagement through discovery (research), learning (teaching), and citizenship (service): • Build strategic relationships and engagement • Create spaces for innovation in engagement scholarship • Strengthen capacity through engagement scholarship • Mobilize knowledge about engagement scholarship

3 Figure 1 presents specific actions to achieve these objectives. Furthermore, we have identified five major areas of IMPACTS that we seek to demonstrate through our engagement scholarship efforts: • Be recognized as a leader/catalyst in engagement scholarship • Produce and share research-informed knowledge • Influence policy and practice • Build capacities in and through engagement scholarship • Enhance our relationships/partnerships As we implement our Strategic Research Plan, we will work with the Faculty of Extension’s Research Support Services (RSS) unit to monitor and evaluate research and practice impacts. Specifically, RSS will track the implementation of action items, and identify specific measures for each of the five impact areas and report on progress over time. Through this process, we will collect and document evidence, including impact stories and other qualitative and quantitative measures of impacts over time.

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Introduction and Context There is a growing shift in the academic paradigm, as we move away from the image of the university as the “ivory tower” and towards building more accessible and open spaces for learning, capacity-building, community development, and public good. This much needed transformation relies on developing strong community-university engagement. There is urgent pressure upon universities around the world to build and foster meaningful community engagement through mutually-beneficial and mutually-respectful partnerships. Indeed, by mobilizing different forms of knowledge (community, experiential, and academic) (Escrigas et al., 2014), and by aiming to solve complex societal problems (Fitzgerald et al., 2012), community-university engagement is a central component of effective higher education, research, and policy development.

With over 100 years of rich history, the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta continues our commitment to contributing to social and individual betterment. We pursue opportunities to build community-university partnerships that integrate community-engaged learning (teaching), discovery (research), and citizenship (service). Our research is driven by a commitment to fulfill our mandate of “uplifting of the whole people for the public good” by promoting “community engagement, near and far.”

The distinguishable characteristic of research at the Faculty of Extension is our expertise in the study and practice of engagement, which transcends disciplinary and sectoral boundaries  in particular, our expertise in rigorous theorization of effective engagement practices. Succinctly, our distinction is that we are “engagement scholars” that practice through an interdisciplinary and community lens!

As a faculty of interdisciplinary scholars, our strengths encompass scholarship and practice of engagement, capacity-building, knowledge mobilization, social justice, and community development, as well as communication and technology, planning and sustainable development, and language and globalization, to name a few. We collaborate with a broad range of community and academic partners to engage, inform, and enrich our research and scholarship activities. The depth and breadth of our collective and collaborative experiences foster sustainable local, regional, national, and international relationships and partnerships across sectors. For example, the Faculty of Extension supports lasting partnerships and community research collaborations through our unique and respected research centres.

These centres operate as inclusive portals for fostering shared research, knowledge mobilization, and capacity building in our communities. They are essential for building partnerships, for example, with municipal and provincial government organizations around shared areas of strategic importance.

Increasingly, the active involvement of our researchers in centre initiatives presents innovative opportunities for more impactful engaged research and for the significant advancement of engagement scholarship.

Through a series of strategic planning retreats in 2015 and early 2016, we have identified our priorities and intentions for the next five years, laying the groundwork for a unified research strategy. This Strategic Research Plan represents a collective voice of faculty whose expertise, resources, and actions will make our vision a reality.

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Elements of Our Strategic Research Plan Our Strategic Research Plan comprises a set of shared values, a central goal, objectives, actions, and desired impacts. Our Strategic Research Framework (see page 9) visually represents each of these five elements, which are described in depth below:

1. Values: Our values reflect the innovative, interdisciplinary, and community-engaged character of research in the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta.

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Responsive to community needs

Being responsive to community needs is a top priority for our research, guided by respectful engagement with our diverse community and university partners. In particular, we appreciate that community partners are the experts in defining current issues. We integrate their knowledge and insights to identify and address significant social and community issues (e.g., poverty), and generate effective researchinformed solutions to promote community betterment.

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Boundary spanning

Complex issues require innovative, often courageous, research partnerships and approaches. As boundary spanners, we draw on our interdisciplinary capacity to transcend boundaries and chart new territories. We contribute to innovative engagement scholarship by addressing the full spectrum of community engagement practices and purposes.

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Social justice and reconciliation

In addition to our ongoing commitment to mobilizing positive changes for all vulnerable populations, we are committed to respectfully addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) recommendations through working with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partners and stakeholders.

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Capacity building

We strive to contribute to development of individual, community, and societal capacity to address contemporary issues. We seek to build mutually-respectful relationships and collaborative partnerships across sectors in order to enhance the capacities of both academic and non-academic partners in addressing their needs. Our work contributes to evidence-based approaches to improving policy and practice in all sectors.

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Diverse forms of knowledge

Our research honours the diverse forms of knowledge that emerge from the perspectives and experiences of community members, practitioners, Elders, and students, as well as academic researchers and teachers. We value the contributions of our broad network of scholars and the voices of socially marginalized population groups, including Aboriginal peoples and new Canadians, to name a few. We employ an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to our research processes.

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Integration of research, teaching, and service

In line with the University of Alberta’s commitment to discovery (research), learning (teaching), and citizenship (service), our research provides meaningful opportunities to advance integrated forms of scholarship, in which research, teaching, and service inform each other in reciprocal ways.

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2. Goal: Advancing engagement scholarship Our goal is to advance engagement scholarship in collaborative ways, in order to achieve our mission and actualize our vision. This builds on the vision and mission defined in the Faculty of Extension’s most recent Academic Plan (2009-2014): “VISION: To be an exemplary centre for the scholarship and practice of community-university engagement. MISSION: To provide leadership for social and individual betterment through community-university collaborations in learning, discovery, and citizenship.” 1 Importantly, in the University of Alberta’s Institutional Strategic Plan: For the Public Good, “Engage” is identified as one of the five succinct actions, while engagement is central to one of the five institutional goals.

Specifically, community-engaged research (CER) is one of the key approaches to achieving the goal of advancing engagement scholarship. CER emphasizes a shift away from an expert model of delivering university knowledge to the public, toward a more collaborative model, in which community partners play a significant role in creating and sharing knowledge to the mutual benefit of institutions and society (Boyer, 1996; Kellogg Commission, 1999).

This overarching goal of advancing engagement scholarship serves as the anchor for each of the following Objectives, Actions, and Impacts.

3. Objectives: We have identified four key objectives to inform our strategic priorities. All of these objectives integrate community-university engagement through discovery (research), learning (teaching), and citizenship (service).

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Build strategic relationships and engagement (Objective A)

We will build strategic relationships and maximize opportunities for meaningful engagement. To become one of the reputable “go to” institutions for engagement scholarship, we will continue to foster and expand our partnership networks, and raise the profile of the Faculty — by promoting our research and sharing the impacts of our work with community members, practitioners, policy-makers, fellow researchers, students, and other partners.

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Create spaces for innovation in engagement scholarship (Objective B)

We will create mutually respectful spaces for innovation and co-learning, in order to support research that incorporates interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral perspectives, and drives new ways of thinking about engagement scholarship and how it can be used to address complex social problems.

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Strengthen capacity through engagement scholarship (Objective C)

We will build academic and community capacities by engaging interdisciplinary researchers, students, and community partners in all stages of our research processes. This will strengthen our own work and foster the next generation of researchers and community leaders.

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Mobilize knowledge about engagement scholarship (Objective D)

As we address significant social issues and integrate diverse forms of knowledge, we will share our processes and findings to multiply long-term and sustainable impacts and inspire innovation across multiple sectors and disciplines. Through the systematic study of engagement, we will build knowledge about the practice of engagement.

Currently under review. The Faculty of Extension will put forward a faculty-wide Strategic Plan for 2015-2020, integrating priorities outlined in this document, as well as those of other units.

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4. Actions We will undertake the following actions to achieve the Objectives A-D. •

Under Objective A: Build strategic relationships and engagement o Build authentic, long-term partnerships that extend past project timelines o Undertake strategic conversations to prioritize partnership building at institutional (U of A), local, provincial, national, and international levels o Establish an open portal, which is publicly visible and accessible, by strategically inviting partners and researchers to engage o Be strategic and proactive in joining community initiatives and conversations o Commit to a national and international presence, through research efforts and communications o Task RSS (Research Support Services) in the Faculty of Extension to work collaboratively with our Marketing Department to seek strategic opportunities to incubate and promote research at Extension o Task RSS to develop a map/audit of relationships and networks to demonstrate scope of networks and encourage new partnerships through periodic updating

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Under Objective B: Create spaces for innovation in engagement scholarship o Facilitate collaborative and reflective dialogues around significant social and community issues o Identify collective research themes that we can work together as a Faculty (e.g., poverty, TRC) o Strategically consolidate expertise and resources of various centres and research groups to execute Faculty-wide research initiatives o Continue to build our partnerships with municipal and provincial government organizations through shared research, knowledge mobilization, and capacity building in our communities o Strengthen partnerships by hosting a partnering practices symposium/workshop to be more proactive about partnership development o Explore opportunities to establish additional Research Chairs, such as Canada Research Chair (CRC) in engagement scholarship within the Faculty

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Under Objective C: Strengthen capacity through engagement scholarship o Launch MACE (Masters of Art in Community Engagement) program  recruit new students, offer high quality research practicum experiences, and supervise original theses o Advance the CBRE (Community-Based Research and Evaluation) Certificate program  recruit new students, expand to/partner with other Faculties, and offer high quality research practicum experiences o Revise CBRE workshops  release new specialized offerings with a focus on new content in knowledge mobilization, policy, communication, and evaluation o Welcome and recruit community-based research fellows, visiting scholars, “skunk works” teams, or post-docs o Work with Community-Service Learning (CSL) for capstone and practicum projects o Explore opportunities to establish a PhD program in Community Engagement

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Under Objective D: Mobilize knowledge about engagement scholarship o Produce high quality research outputs, both traditional and non-traditional o Establish an innovative and creative Faculty research communication strategy, using multimedia podcasts, fast facts, stories, and tools o Task RSS to work collaboratively with our Marketing Department to seek strategic opportunities to mobilize research findings, and tell stories about the impacts of our research o Develop Faculty-wide publications, working with RSS and Marketing to plan, develop, publish, and disseminate o Develop a community engagement practice handbook/menu/portal/scrapbook on community engagement methods and examples to share across the University of Alberta and with other research partners o Develop “tools” for sectors to communicate research outcomes and promote widespread knowledge mobilization o Host biennial community research summit in the community  restructure existing biennial research showcase o Host annual high-profile Faculty lectures o Strategically nominate Extension scholars through the Dean’s office for distinguished research and teaching awards

More specific details about our strategic action plan, including priority-setting and implementation timelines, will be determined collaboratively with the Associate Dean, Research (ADR), our Research Committee, and Professoriate members. In addition, RSS will contribute to the timely execution of those actions, and will monitor and evaluate implementation and impacts.

5. Impacts: We have identified five major areas of impacts that we seek to demonstrate through our engagement scholarship efforts. As we implement our Strategic Research Plan, we will work with the Research Support Services (RSS) unit to monitor and evaluate research and practice impacts. Specifically, RSS will track the implementation of action items, and work with the ADR to identify specific measures for each of the five impact areas (see below) and report on progress over time. Through this process, we will collect and document evidence, including impact stories and other qualitative and quantitative measures of impacts over time.

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Be recognized as a leader/catalyst in engagement scholarship

Our Academic Plan identifies that our vision is to be “an exemplary centre for the scholarship and practice of community-university engagement.” By being recognized by community members, practitioners, policy-makers, fellow researchers, students, and other partners as a leader and catalyst in engagement scholarship, we can raise our institutional profile and successfully actualize this vision.

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Produce and share research-informed knowledge

We can increase the scope and depth of our impacts by sharing with other researchers and community leaders the lessons learned on research-informed knowledge, as it relates to community building, policy development, and social justice, to name a few. By strategically sharing our research findings, we can demonstrate how our work has contributed to academic literature, and map impacts of our work on public and community understandings of complex social issues.

Ultimately, knowledge mobilization represents an important strategy for raising the Faculty of Extension’s profile, both internally to the University of Alberta campuses and externally to broader community domains including government, business, and non-profit sectors, as a reputable source for research and policy advisory support.

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Influence policy and practice

Influencing policy and practice is a key indicator of success for our engagement scholarship work. Researchinformed recommendations help shape policies that are relevant to the community and effective in the long term. Further, well-executed research can also inform community practice, and can lead to improved outcomes. This is why our research involves respectful collaboration with policy-makers and community practitioners throughout the research process. •

Build capacities in and through engagement scholarship

Through our engaged research, we seek to strengthen the capacities of community members, practitioners, policy-makers, students, and academic researchers in a broad range of skills, including collaboration, engagement, community-based action research, knowledge translation/mobilization, and improvement in research-informed policy-making and community practice. Showing evidence of how our engaged research has built capacities and empowered both internal and external researchers, external cross-sectoral communities, and interdisciplinary teams, is vital as a way of demonstrating tangible impacts of our work. •

Enhance our relationships/partnerships

Through our collaborative engaged research efforts, we are always building and strengthening relationships and partnerships with diverse team members and community stakeholders, representing interdisciplinary and crosssectoral interests. Typically, our research relationships and partnerships do not end at the conclusion of a specific research project. Rather, we are committed to continuing to enhance relationship-building efforts in a sustainable way, because witnessing sustainable impacts of engaged research takes time and community buy-in.

We are genuinely dedicated to making a difference in our society by strategically using engaged research as a means for social change and transformation. We see the continued growth and enhancement of these relationships as an important indicator of our success as engagement scholars.

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Conclusion and Next Steps A series of inclusive, collaborative activities have guided the development of our 2015-2020 Strategic Research Plan for the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta. Through our joint efforts at research retreats, we have placed a stronger and more strategic emphasis on the collective “we” of our research units. This has had a noticeable impact within our organizational culture, as we look beyond narrower individual priorities to forge a unified vision for our future. Our researchers and staff have shown passion and commitment to innovation in engagement scholarship, as well as excitement and aspiration for Faculty-wide collaborations and shared achievements. It is very important to sustain this momentum by continuing to build on and advance our collective expertise and resources in engagement scholarship, as we strive to actualize our vision of being an exemplary centre for the scholarship and practice of engagement. Although many other Faculties pursue community engaged research (CER), our distinguishable characteristic is that we are "engagement scholars” who conduct research about and practice engagement through an interdisciplinary and community lens.

Through this scholarly engagement process, we contribute to rigorous and innovative theorization of engagement practices.

This document identifies and describes the specific and related elements of our strategic research plan, including our core values and overarching goal, objectives, actions, and desired impacts (see our Strategic Research Framework, page 9). However, it should be noted that this strategic plan is not fixed  rather, it is an evergreen document that responds to changing community and faculty needs and contexts. This ongoing process will involve collaborations among the Associate Dean, Research (ADR), Research Committee, Professoriate, Research Support Services (RSS), and other research staff within the Faculty of Extension. Where appropriate, we will also collaborate with other faculty units, such as Marketing and Continuing & Professional Education (CPE) programs, to enhance our efforts. For example, as noted above, the ADR will work with the Research Committee and Professoriate to articulate next steps for action planning and implementation. Followup research retreats will facilitate faculty-wide consultation, as may be needed to ensure that the Strategic Research Plan aligns with the upcoming University of Alberta’s Institutional Strategic Plan. Further, RSS will be closely involved in helping implement key action items, as well as in periodically monitoring and documenting the effective execution of our Strategic Research Plan and its impacts.

In the meantime, this collaboratively developed document provides a framework for the next five years of research priorities and activities in the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta. We are very grateful for our researchers and staff’s passion and commitment to this collective process, and we look forward to implementing this plan together!

References: Boyer, E. L. (1996). The scholarship of engagement. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 1(1), 11-20.

Escrigas, C., Sanchez, J.G., Hall, & Tandon, R. (Eds.) (2014). Editors’ introduction. In Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi). Higher education in the world 5, Knowledge, engagement and higher education contributing to social change (pp. xxxi-xxxix). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fitzgerald, H.E., Bruns, K., Sonka, S.T., Furco, A., & Swanson, L. (2012). The centrality of engagement in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 16(3), 7-27.

Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities (1999). Returning to our roots: The engaged institution. Washington, DC: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

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