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AUCEA is an alliance of universities and affiliations committed to university-community engagement across Australia and Asia Pacific.

AUCEA’s vision is to be the leading inclusive forum for the discussion and development of university-community engagement, encouraging collaboration, innovation, knowledge exchange and the scholarship of engagement. A university’s community may include businesses, industries, professional associations, schools, governments, alumni, indigenous and ethnic communities, and local citizens to name but a few.

AUCEA and our members actively:

  • promote the principles of university-community engagement
  • facilitate discussion and research in university-community engagement
  • share best practice in the field
  • encourage the integration of engagement into curriculum and the student experience
  • recognise the scholarship of engagement as a valid pedagogy
  • develop resources to further support university-community engagement.

The Alliance focuses on three key areas:

  1. Engaged research in which the community is a genuine partner and the research addresses community issues and needs. Engaged research provides significant social and environmental benefits and contributes to community well-being through its multi-disciplined and collaborative approach.
  2. Engaged teaching, learning and the student experience addresses current labour market needs and offers students the skills and experience to become knowledgeable and active citizens in their local, national and international communities. Student learning, as part of an engaged teaching program, will ensure graduate employability and exposure to leading edge technology, research and developments. This is brought about by work-integrated learning, internships, international experiences and exposure to curricula that are informed by real world problems and solutions.
  3. Social responsiveness by which universities respond to real needs through intellectual leadership, university resources and facilities, and collaboration for mutual outcomes.

In January 2010 the AUCEA Board appointed Southern Cross University (SCU) to host the AUCEA Secretariat. Jan Strom is the Executive Officer and Donna McIntyre is the Administration Officer and they both have extensive experience in the higher education sector.

Donna has worked in a business administration capacity at SCU since 1997. Initially she worked with the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (1997-2009) where one of her key responsibilities was to co-ordinate the annual Australian Regional Tourism Conventions (2001-09). These events attracted hundreds of delegates conventions were held in an array of destinations including Norfolk Island, Alice Springs and Hobart.

From 2003 Donna also worked with the SCU Office of Community Engagement (OCE) where she has been responsible for the unit’s business and administration management. Prior to moving to the Northern Rivers region of NSW she was a Business Manager for a research unit of the University of Sydney’s Department of General Practice. Now Donna is “shared’ by the OCE and AUCEA, working two days and three days per week respectively.

Jan has worked in the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) at Southern Cross University since November 2005, while simultaneously undertaking her ‘university-community engagement’ PhD. She has also assumed marketing, media liaison and lecturing roles at SCU, and is an experienced facilitator working with numerous community, business, local government, and public sector groups.

During her time with OCE Jan has worked closely with local government, regional and community organisations. The focus of her work was on building social, human and economic capital, in order to grow community capacity and build stronger linkages and relationships within and beyond the SCU. She has published a number of papers and reports on topics such as Creative Industries, the Scholarship of Engagement, and Common-unity (from a woman’s perspective).

Jan is currently a member of Regional Development Australia – Mid North Coast, and she has served as Deputy Mayor of Coffs Harbour City Council (2000-04), and Chair (2005-7) and Director of the Enterprise and Training Company (2004-08).

AUCEA Secretariat contact details are: Donna McIntyre: (02) 6620.3503 or via email admin@aucea.org.au
Jan Strom: (02) 6659.3900 or jan.strom@scu.edu.au.
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