University- Community Interaction

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University- Community Interaction Khaled S.
Al-Sultan Rector, King Fahd University of
Petroleum Minerals
November 28, 2004
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Introduction

• Provides interaction between the university and
  the community.
• Addresses issues that confront a community such
  as health, environment, hunger, mentoring, aging,
  the disabled, literacy, economic, manufacturing
  and service problems, etc.
• Breaks barriers of misunderstanding and develops
  awareness of a community need.
• Increases awareness of the link between
  university and community.
• Provides great potential for mutual benefits.
• Provides students, faculty, staff and alumni with
  opportunities to address the critical concerns of
  the community.

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The Roles of the University
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The University Model (Historical Perspective)
The Islamic University (800s 1000s).
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The Engaged University Model

• The engaged university is a recent perspective of
  higher education for urban universities.
• It supports research and teaching to address
  specific needs of the community.
• It integrates the teaching, research, and service
  functions of the university in an
  interdisciplinary manner.
• It promotes partnerships with public agencies and
  the community for broad public affairs and civic
  interests.
• It engages its faculty, students, and staff with
  interests outside the university as it develops
  new ways to pursue its functions.
• The above is done in an institutional and
  strategic way, and not just ad-hoc in individual
  courses, projects or partnerships.

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Benefits

• Students Benefits
• Students get much more experience than they
  expect.
• Have a unique way of developing an individual's
  leadership skills, sense of community,
  self-esteem, and other personal characteristics.
• Increases students learning, personal skills and
  professional development.
• Enhances students communication and team work
  skills.
• An opportunity to explore possible careers and
  experience the real-world.
• Foster mutual learning prepare students for
  responsible citizenship.

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Benefits

• Students Benefits Cont.
• Provide chances to link classroom to real life.
• An opportunity to gain hands on experience.
• Challenges the way a student thinks about himself
  and the World around him.
• An opportunity to know and work with people
  different than themselves.
• Encourages active and responsible membership in
  the community.

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Benefits

• Faculty Benefits
• An opportunity to gain practical experience that
  can be reflected in the classroom teaching.
• Provide a source of interesting ideas and
  challenging problems to address and incorporate
  in course instruction.
• A vehicle for empowerment.
• Provide potential for growth and leadership.
• Encourage active and responsible membership.
• An opportunity to develop contacts.
• Awareness and understanding of the mutual
  interplay of current practices.
• Identification of areas of further attention and
  new directions.

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Benefits

• Benefits to the University
• Fulfill its obligation towards the community.
• Contribute to the economic development and
  advancement of local communities and the nation.
• Help in financing some programs.
• Enhance and broaden the education of the next
  generation of scientists and engineers.
• Facilitate the universitys active involvement as
  a trusted member of the community.
• Facilitate commercialization of the results of
  the university research.

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Benefits

• Benefits to Community.
• The community gains resources and services.
• Transfer of knowledge from students and faculty
  to community members.
• Influence direction of research.
• Awareness and access to new technologies.
• Influence of curriculum development.
• Access to highly skilled faculty members and
  students (graduate seniors).
• Better evaluation of students competence.
• Networking.
• Potential savings.

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Opportunities

• Community Service experience will provide persons
  involved with the opportunity to
• Think critically and solve problems.
• Recognize and address the needs of the community.
• Personal Development.
• Make a difference.
• Learn to care about people with different
  cultures and life styles.
• Experience the satisfaction of doing something
  worthwhile for the community.
• Explore career options.
• Participation in achieving the organization's
  goals.
• Understand and study relevant issues in practice.
• Transfer of knowledge.

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KFUPM Efforts

• I Teaching and Training.
• Short Courses.
• Diploma Program.
• Community Colleges.
• Course Sponsorship.
• Executive Training.
• Personal skills program.
• Gifted Students Program.

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KFUPM Efforts

• I. Teaching and Training Cont.
• Tutoring youth ages six to seventeen and
  participate in recreational activities.
• Assisting foreign residents in their
  understanding of the Countries language and
  enhance their experience in the country.
• English Language Center.
• Summer activities.

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KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)

• II. Research, Consulting, and Innovation
• Research Institute.
• Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz Science Park.
• Entrepreneurship program.
• Business Incubator.
• Funded Chairs.
• Tackling problems of importance to the community.
• Societal studies in topics of interest to the
  community.
• Publishing and authoring books and pamphlets on
  subjects of interest to the community.

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KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)

• II. Research, Consulting, and Innovation Cont.
• Consultation services for Private and Pubic
  Sector Organizations.
• Holding public lectures and seminars on the
  subject of interest to the community.
• Organizing workshops and discussion forums on
  subjects of interest to the community.
• Organizing conferences and symposia.

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KFUPM Efforts (Cont.)

• III. Others
• Access to the library.
• Organizing sports activities that are open to
  public.
• Access to physical education facilities.
• Participation in committees and boards.
• High school students visits to KFUPM departments.
• Organizing exhibitions of interest to the public.
• University Schools.
• University Kindergarten and nursery.
• Advisory bodies for departments and colleges.
• Scientific societies.
• Introducing the wonders of science to the
  elementary school students with different
  hands-on experiments.

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Concerns in University-Community Interaction

• There is a risk of loosing the universitys
  objectivity and credibility.
• There is a risk of overdoing it where the
  university is entrusted to solve problems which
  are not amenable to knowledge-intensive
  educational effort, or if the university does not
  command the needed knowledge.
• The university obviously has limitations, which
  may not be apparent to the community.
• The university could become training institute
  and a consulting office.
• The university may loose control over faculty.
• The university may become more interested in
  making money than advancing and disseminating
  knowledge, and protecting integrity.

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Conclusions

• Suggestions for boosting University-Community
  Interaction
• Increase funding for projects addressing
  community issues.
• Support training initiatives to identify best
  practices, models, and needs of partnership.
• Establish (strengthen) community service centers
  at universities.
• Identify and support a reward structure for both
  community and academic participants.
• Encourage alliances and consortia.

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Thank You
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Personal Skills Program
Developing students skills that are needed by
job market
Voluntary Community services
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Gifted Students Program

• Program for attracting distinguished and gifted
  students from high schools and taking care of
  them from the date of joining KFUPM for
  development of their skills.
• Establishing criteria for selection of gifted
  students (169 students have met the criteria)

Criteria
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Gifted Students Program (Cont.)
Interacting with International gifted students
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