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Public and Community Engagement

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Introduction

Warwick put engagement at the centre of its 2030 University strategy by strengthening substantially its P&CE structures, support, funding and evaluation in order to empower its staff and students to engage and collaborate more effectively and extensively with community partners in Coventry & Warwickshire. As a result we have successfully supported our local communities to emerge stronger and more connected from COVID-19 and played a significant role in the celebration of Coventry UK City of Culture, in evaluating its impact and in making the case for the benefits of such celebrations in the future. We are proud of what we have achieved and are committed to developing still further our place at the heart of our region.

Our Vision and Teams

P&CE at Warwick is a strategic enabler of our 2030 vision to point the way ahead as one of the world’s exceptional universities, helping to transform our region, country and world for the collective good. Overall leadership for P&CE sits with both the Registrar (responsible for delivery of the 2030 vision) and the Vice-President for Regional and National Engagement (VPRNE). The Registrar chairs the Knowledge Exchange Group (KEG), which brings together the heads of all teams delivering and supporting P&CE (alongside our wider KEF + KE-C agendas).

These include:

The Community Engagement team (CET) - part of the Regional Strategy & Partnerships team (RSPT), who oversee our engagement with local stakeholders and work with Coventry and Warwickshire (C&W) communities to support improved access to opportunities. They in turn work with Warwick Volunteers (WV), who run a comprehensive student volunteering programme with C&W community partners.

Research Executive (RE) and Research and Impact services (RIS) - who support national and regional P&CE connected to research within departments and faculties.

Warwick Arts Centre - who deliver a free Creative Learning (CL) programme for schools and families on campus/ in C&W communities.

Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE) - created in 2020 in discussion with NCCPE, as a pan-University P&CE flagship hub for our staff and students. WIE builds capacity, expertise and opportunities for effective long-term collaboration and engagement between staff, students and C&W community partners and publics.

Our Activities and Goals

P&CE activities are funded through both central University funding and external funds, particularly HEIF. A sub-group of KEG have responsibility for allocating our HEIF allowance in alignment with strategic goals.

In the period 2019-2022, responding both to the needs and opportunities of our C&W region, the University prioritised three particular P&CE goals:

1. Supporting the transformational development of our local C&W communities, particularly in helping them emerge from COVID-19 more connected and with a stronger sense of self-empowerment.

2. Contributing fully to both delivery and evaluation of Coventry UK City of Culture (Cov-CoC) (May2021-22). Our University-funded programme of activities was developed in line with Cov-CoC's Logic model (which we helped develop) and was overseen by the Cultural Programmes Partnership Board (CPPB), chaired by VPRNE.

3. Making best use of both the opportunities and challenges of this period, guided by our KEF/KE-C priorities and 2030 Vision, to cement the University's place at the heart of our C&W communities and to ensure a positive P&CE legacy from Cov-CoC for both C&W and the University.