1. About
  2. Our framework

Our framework

Image of Community Engagement Framework cover (an aerial picture of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ campus with a blue banner at bottom with text that reads "Community Engagement Framework 2024-29")

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s Community Engagement Framework was developed through consultation with the community and represents the principled approach Queen’s takes when collaborating with community, industry, and government partners. The framework develops upon Queen’s shared vision for developing and sustaining collaborations with partners through five guiding principles and three strategic priority areas. Additionally, the framework outlines the infrastructure needed to put ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ community engagement goals into motion, including development of teaching and learning and research activities for faculty, staff, and students at Queen’s. 

View the Framework (PDF 14MB) 

Our guiding principles

Our guiding principles offer a shared vision for meaningful interactions with diverse community members as partners, faculty, staff and students develop and sustain partnerships.  

Healthy relationships

We are committed to creating and sustaining healthy relationships with our partners. Healthy relationships are the foundation of a strong community. We want our partnerships to be rooted in respect, safety, trust, autonomy, communication, and fun. We recognize that building these relationships takes time, and we are dedicated to creating opportunities to connect across communities, sectors, and disciplines. 

Shared leadership

We are committed to transparency, accountability, fairness, and respect in our partnerships. We acknowledge the latent power dynamics in relationships between partners and higher education institutions and will foster equitable partnerships by actively listening and providing respectful spaces where individuals can speak for themselves. We will share leadership in partnered projects and their processes and outcomes. 

Engaged reciprocity

We are committed to creating equitable partnerships by recognizing the expertise, Ways of Knowing, experiences, and perspectives of all involved. We pursue balance in our partnerships, where contributions and the benefits of knowledge and resources flow in both directions. 

Commitment to co-creation

We are committed to co-creating goals, programs, initiatives, services, and resources with our partners. We practice sharing ownership of outcomes and products, being accountable for roadblocks, and building reflection into our collaborations. 

Mutual and sustainable benefit

We are committed to a holistic vision for community engagement. Initiating shared leadership will allow us to nurture meaningful, reciprocal collaborations and co-creations with our partners that lead to achieving mutual short- and long-term goals for sustained impact. 

Priority areas

Community engagement at Queen’s focuses on three priority areas: Partnerships, Teaching and Learning, and Research. All community engagement initiatives are guided by our principles and support one or more of these priority areas. 

Architecture and Systems | Connections 

Community engagement cultivates diverse partnerships to address partner-identified concerns and opportunities with local, regional, and global SDGs. These collaborative activities may include community-based learning and training, research projects, service learning, outreach, evaluation, and knowledge exchange.

Curricular Learning | Co-curricular Learning

Community engagement places students at the centre of their own education, offering practical ways to learn their professional competencies and skills. This can look like course-based or capstone projects for credit, and co-curricular collaborations with partners. 

Inquiry and Design | Knowledge Mobilization 

Queen’s community engagement strives to grow and transform initiatives in a direction which realizes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhances Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility (I-EDIAA) for everyone.  

Growth and transformation

Queen’s community engagement strengthens communities, expands learning, and promotes research. These initiatives foster capacity building, evaluate outcomes for improvement, and adapt to create stronger, more meaningful collaborations.

Capacity building refers to the process of enhancing abilities, skills, and resources to achieve shared goal(s). Some examples include: training, workshops, seminars, and resources.

Evaluation in community engagement systematically assesses the impact of collaborations, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. It fosters ongoing adaptation and provides evidence of activities from diverse perspectives, including communities, students, and researchers.

Adaptation reflects the ability of both the university and partners to adjust their strategies, goals, and practices in response to the changing circumstances, evidence, needs and insights.

Infrastructure 

Leadership | Capacity-Building | Programs | Awards and Recognition | Policies | Dedicated Staff Roles | Evaluation | Funding

Infrastructure at Queen’s provides the spaces and systems that support strategic community engagement, enabling participation, partnerships, and contributions to the university’s missions of service, teaching, and research. Ongoing evaluation and adaptation ensure growth and transformation.

 

 

In the media

Community Engagement Summit

Oct 20, 2025

Building community connections

Queen’s celebrates the launch of a new community engagement framework and website with a day of collaboration and relationship-building.

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Logo on a blue field

Oct 16, 2025

Strategies for increasing accessibility in teaching and learning

The Centre for Teaching and Learning is hosting a speaker series that aims to foster dialogue on disability and provide practical solutions for making courses more accessible.

Fall safety social campaign

Oct 14, 2025

Fall activities emphasize responsibility and community

Community partners are working together to provide a range of programming and activities on campus in the busy fall season, including Homecoming.

See Gazette Articles