Commission for Links with the Environment
In the plenary session held at the University of Magallanes (UMAG), those in charge of the Community Engagement area at CRUCH universities, led by the commission president Ximena Gauché (UdeC), elected Carlos Lara (UV) as vice president and as zonal delegates: Olga María Valdés (UCN), Patricia Pallavicini (USACH) and Melissa Flores (UMAG).
The rector of the University of Concepción, Carlos Saavedra, who is in charge of the commission, stated that “community engagement must be recognized for what it is: a core mission pillar, as important as knowledge generation.” Meanwhile, the rector of the host university, José Maripani, emphasized that “today, we enthusiastically observe the emergence of networks and spaces for exchange and collaboration around what we know as the third mission.”.
During two days of face-to-face work, this December 4 and 5, the members of the Community Engagement Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) met at the University of Magallanes (UMAG) to evaluate the work of the current year, define guidelines for the 2024-2025 period and elect the other members of the board.
The session was led by Ximena Gauché, Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations and Community Engagement at the University of Concepción (UdeC), who was elected by her peers as president of the commission in November. Also present were Carlos Saavedra, Rector of the University of Concepción and head of the commission, and José Maripani, Rector of the host university; both of whom praised the event and emphasized the importance of community engagement.
At the start of the first day, Rector Saavedra stated that “today, community engagement is understood in a much deeper way, within this more star-like structure that interconnects all areas of our work. We must change our perspective within our institutions, and in academic evaluation, it must cease to be a marginal component; community engagement must be recognized for what it is: a core mission pillar, as relevant as knowledge generation.”.
Meanwhile, the rector of UMAG, José Maripani, emphasized the importance of connecting universities in each of the territories. “Today, we enthusiastically observe the emergence of networks and spaces for exchange and collaboration around what we know as the third mission,” he stated, adding that among the challenges are “the integration of university engagement with teaching and Research, Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (R&D&I&E); the measurement of its impact on the external environment; the relationship between community engagement and quality assurance in our institutions; the systems for monitoring and recording activities; as well as management and planning.”.
Furthermore, the other members of the new board for the 2024-2025 term were elected at the meeting. Carlos Lara, Vice-Rector for Community Engagement at the University of Valparaíso (UV), assumed the vice-presidency; and the regional representatives were Olga María Valdés, Director General of Community Engagement at the Catholic University of the North (UCN), for the northern region; Patricia Pallavicini, Vice-Rector for Community Engagement at the University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), for the central region; and Melissa Flores, Vice-Rector for Community Engagement at UMAG, for the southern region.
It should be noted that the commission was created by agreement of the CRUCH plenary in March of this year and was formed in May, being led by a transitional board.
Upcoming challenges
The commission's president, Ximena Gauché, indicated that six main challenges were identified during the working session. She explained that progress is needed, for example, in "how the higher education system integrates training and research into the academic careers of professors; also, how we record and communicate community engagement; how we measure the contribution of our activities, their impact, and the transformations we can generate in the regions.".
Along with the above, Gauché referred to the new accreditation criteria for universities, which came into effect on October 1, including the evaluation of the area of community engagement: its policies and mechanisms, management, its bidirectional effects, and institutional internationalization and networks.
Work of the commission
Regarding the outcome of the meeting, the commission president described the agreements reached as “very positive,” stating that they had managed to “articulate all the guidelines that will allow us, as the 2024-2025 board, to present a work plan (...).” She added that this will make it possible “to fulfill the purpose of this commission, which is to contribute to the rectors of the CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities) in matters of community engagement, which is currently facing a major challenge: the recent implementation of the new accreditation criteria by the CNA (National Accreditation Commission).”.
Regarding the commission's work plan, the board will systematize the main topics analyzed in the session during January, so that it can be presented to the CRUCH plenary session for approval during the first months of the year. "This will allow us to begin planning our work for two years, where we also hope to share responsibilities, combine the various contributions that can be made, and carry out specific actions that will translate into a contribution to the Council," concluded Ximena Gauché.
Text: UMAG Communications and CRUCH Communications
Photos: UMAG Communications
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