Special Advisor to the Principal on Community Engagement
“Collaboration between universities and community partners opens avenues for innovative projects with real-world applications and benefits, as well as shared learning experiences. All of which will contribute to a vibrant academic atmosphere that enriches communities. By adopting this framework, Queen’s can strengthen relationships and trust between academia and broader communities, nurture existing partnerships, and foster new ones that together enhance impact.”
Principal’s Advisory Council on Community Engagement
The Principal’s Advisory Council on Community Engagement was established to cultivate university-wide strategic planning at Queen’s University. The Council brought together members from the various leadership, faculties, and staff to guide operational trajectories and initiatives, enhancing community engagement across the three priority areas: partnerships, teaching and learning, and research.
The Council is composed of 4 subcommittees and meets every 2 months to give feedback on the subcommittees’ work.
Subcommittees
Goals:
- Create a university-wide theoretical model for community engagement at Queen’s.
Goals:
- Grow course offerings with community engagement opportunities for students.
- Build a new certificate program grounded in community engagement.
- Develop a mechanism for students to self-report their community engagement longitudinally.
Goals:
- Establish joint management mechanism for partnered projects.
- Develop policies and guidelines to support community engagement.
Goals:
- Develop evaluation metrics for annual reporting on community engagement activities.
- Implement mechanism for partner intake and collecting partners’ feedback.
- Method for longitudinally tracking students’ engagement in the community.
Our journey
Appointment of Special Advisor
Feb. 2023
Principal Patrick Deane appoints Special Advisor on Community Engagement.
Environmental scans
Mar. - Nov. 2023
The Special Advisor's team conducted literature reviews of Canadian and American universities for their community engagement initiatives. The team identified undergraduate and graduate courses at ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ including community enagement.
Course review
July 2023 - Jan. 2024
Every undergraduate and graduate course at ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ was reviewed for offering community engagement opportunities.
Community Engagement Council
Fall 2023
Twenty-three ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ faculty and staff members formed the Principal's Advisory Council for Community Engagement.
Planning for assessment and evaluation
2024
Subcommittees held 21 meetings, and the full Council met four times to advance and give feedback on new community engagement initiatives.
Community Engagement Framework launched
Fall 2025
ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ launched its Community Engagement Framework after inviting partners to provide feedback on its collective approach to community engagement.
Next steps
Community Engagement Record
Developing a Community Engagement Record to allow students to systematically track their community engagement activities while identifying and reflecting on professional skills developed while attending Queen’s.
SDG-focused online course
Creating an online course that introduces students to the SDGs and to collaboration, problem-solving approaches, and community engagement.
Certificate development
Establishing an interdisciplinary certificate available to all undergraduate students that focuses on sustainability and community engagement.
In the media
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.
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.
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.