Questions

What is HEI public engagement and why does it matter?

The NCCPE is very interested in the different definitions, understandings, and applications of 'public engagement' terminology in British universities. We are interested in exploring the tensions and opportunities that public engagement can offer higher education. To do this, we will signpost, provide space to challenge and debate, and bring together existing knowledge. For example, we are currently asking people to feed into our Draft Framework for Public Enagement and we are working with the University of Newcastle on a research synthesis outlining the emergence, defining characteristics and drivers of HE public engagement. If you have suggestions of links or research that is relevant to our work please let us know.

What defines excellent public engagement?

The NCCPE is committed to supporting good practice in carrying out public engagement. We hope to build capacity of British universities to do and report on good quality public engagement by:

  • signposting to excellent resources within - and external to - the higher education sector
  • developing relevant tool kits
  • by working with PE practitioners to explore existing good practice and gaps in the current offer
  • by commissioning literature reviews and other work .

The NCCPE has already published a guide to 'Auditing, Benchmarking, and Evaluating Public Engagement' that you can download here, in full or summary form.

The NCCPE will be conducting a review of public engagement codes, standards, and principles relevant to university public engagement. If you'd like to signpost us to additional work in 'doing' PE, or want to suggest further work that needs doing in this area, please let us know.

How can public engagement be embedded as a central and defining feature of Britain's higher education sector?

This question is at the core of the NCCPE mandate to trigger widespread higher education interest and support for public engagement. The HE sector in the UK is complex and diverse, influenced by both internal and external drivers. Tools for organisational, personal and cultural change must be understood and creatively explored together. 

The NCCPE is commissioning a literature review on HE and organisational change, to review the main drivers and past successes. We will also be conducting an audit of the skills needed for doing effective university public engagement, alongside an analysis of training and qualification routes within universities. The NCCPE will review previous HE experience with manifestos and charters for driving change, and case studies of embedding PE in HEIs (internationally and in the UK) will also be profiled. If you'd like to signpost us to additional work in 'embedding PE', or want to suggest further work that needs doing in this area, please let us know.