To support Goldsmiths, University of London, to develop a model that enables universities to measure how their activities and reputation match with their ambitions to be a ‘civic university’, the UPP Foundation has awarded £7,500 of funding for the University to undertake research.
Goldsmiths wants to be more responsive to its local communities’ needs and develop ‘co-production models of activity’. The grant will help the Institution to develop a model for evaluating and planning future civic engagement work, which will be published as an ‘open access tool’ that is transferable for other Higher Education institutions.
The model will be developed through primary research with Goldsmiths’ local communities and its stakeholder groups, as well as through three ‘Community Conversation’ events.
Professor Frances Corner OBE, Warden of Goldsmiths, said: “I’m delighted that Goldsmiths is a recipient of funding from the UPP Foundation this year. This support from the Foundation will allow the College to conduct vital research into the priorities of our local residents and stakeholders, ensuring Goldsmiths can continue its long-standing commitment to civic engagement in the most impactful way. We look forward to sharing our findings with a range of other institutions.”
Impact of Covid-19 – The project will be able to continue as planned, as all qualitative aspects of the research were completed prior to the Government’s announcement of social distancing measures.