University Engagement: policy, practice and the public good.

McFaul, Hugh and Cin, Melis (2024) University Engagement: policy, practice and the public good. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Public and Community Engagement (PCE), as part of the public facing third mission of universities, has been the subject of increasing attention by higher education policy makers, a trend illustrated by the introduction of the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) in England in 2020. This dynamic area of university policy and practice has been critiqued for lacking conceptual coherence and for failing to capture the wider public good benefits of the third mission due to evaluative approaches which are too closely aligned to the human capital approach. This study utilises the Capability Approach (CA) as a human development centred normative framework to address this gap and provide insights into both the practice and purpose of contemporary university PCE in England. Adopting a case study approach, data was gathered from an analysis of Knowledge Exchange Framework PCE Narrative submissions [n.32] and qualitative interviews with university academics and public engagement professionals [n.10]. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that whilst there is evidence of strong commitment to the public good potential of PCE at the micro level, there are uneven levels of institutional engagement at the meso level and universities have yet to find a way to ensure the voice of their publics and communities are listened to in the development and operationalisation of their PCE strategies.