University engagement of dental students related to educational environment: A transnational study

Objectives To investigate the validity and reliability of the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) in its complete and reduced versions with Brazilian and USA students, and to evaluate the influence of gender and academic level on students’ university engagement in both countries. Methods A cross-sectional observational study with a non-probability sample was conducted. The sample comprised dental students of both genders, 154 from a university in New York, USA (response rate 91.1%) and 459 from two universities in Brazil (response rate 79.1%). University engagement was measured using the USEI. The samples were characterized by gender and academic level. Results The refined reduced version of the USEI presented adequate fit to the samples from both countries. Gender was associated with the behavioral engagement factor of the USEI in Brazilian students. In the USA sample, gender was associated with the behavioral and cognitive engagement factors. There was a significant effect of academic level on behavioral and emotional engagement for the Brazilian and USA samples, respectively. Conclusion The refined reduced USEI presented adequate psychometric qualities for the study samples.

Exploring the Meaning of Therapeutic Horticulture for Anishinabek Youth in a Brief Residential Treatment Unit: A Community Engagement CSL Case Study

This paper explored community-university engagement that integrated a short-term treatment facility for Indigenous youth, a social enterprise organization that focused on healing through horticulture therapy experiences and an interdisciplinary academic team. The focus was to discover whether a horticulture therapy (HT) approach held promise in terms of an appropriate way to expand community service-learning (CSL) with Indigenous peoples and to encourage more diversity of voices in community service-learning experiences. Youth participants took part in a photovoice study and further semi-structured interviews to document their perspectives on the meaning of their horticultural experiences. Findings revealed that youth valued the overall HT experience itself; being connected to the gardens and nature and the social interactions exploring spirituality and the self were significant and meaningful for them. Further, findings demonstrated that a collaborative partnership that engaged multiple service agencies to explore novel ways for engaging youth in healing activities with a university team that guided the research approach holds promise as a CSL with Indigenous youth. We conclude with recommendations on the significance of community-university engagement in delivering therapeutic horticulture programs for Indigenous youth as a community service-learning initiative.

The Ties That Bind: University Nostalgia Fosters Relational and Collective University Engagement

Does nostalgia for one’s time at university predict current intentions to engage with the university? In Study 1, United States participants’ nostalgia for their university experience (university nostalgia) at a southern public university predicted stronger intentions to socialize with fellow alumni, attend a future reunion, volunteer for their university, and donate money to their university. Study 2 replicated these findings with alumni from a northeastern private university, and extended them by finding that the links between university nostalgia and university engagement emerged even when controlling for the positivity of university experience. In both studies, feelings of university belonging mediated most of the associations between university nostalgia and university engagement. In Study 2, the positivity of the university experience moderated the relation between university nostalgia and two indices of university engagement. Specifically, university nostalgia was more strongly associated with intentions to attend a reunion and donate money among those who had a relatively negative university experience. Nostalgia for one’s university past predicts future engagement with the university as well as its members.

Trustworthiness in Higher Education: The Role of Professor Benevolence and Competence

Trust is a fundamental element of educational success. However, compared to what we know about teachers’ perceptions of trust, relatively less is known about students’ perceptions of trust. This paper describes two experimental investigations that tested the effects of authority competence and benevolence on students’ perceptions of trust and their engagement. The investigations also explored whether university identification moderated the influence of authority competence and benevolence on assessments of authority trustworthiness and university engagement. As part of an online experiment administered in the Fall 2010 and the Spring 2011 academic terms, Italian (n = 211; Study 1) and U.S. (n = 226; Study 2) undergraduates were primed to identity or not identify with their university before they read one of four scenarios describing a professor’s behavior (i.e., competent and benevolent; competent but uncaring; incompetent but benevolent; incompetent and uncaring). Results showed that students from both Italy and the United States viewed a competent and caring professor as most trustworthy and an incompetent and uncaring professor as least trustworthy. Furthermore, in both countries, students trusted an incompetent and caring professor more compared to a competent and uncaring professor. University identification did not influence trustworthiness.

Understanding University Engagement: The impact of COVID-19 on collaborations and partnerships

In preparing for post-COVID-19 environment, this study sets out to explore the key barriers and challenges facing university staff and external stakeholders in sustaining engagement, and proposes ways to improve university external engagement. A total of 25 in-depth interviews were conducted during the pandemic disruptions with university staff across disciplines, levels and portfolios at the University of Melbourne, aiming to explore the different meanings, purposes, barriers and future outlooks on the ways in which universities engage with our society.

Public Mind: University Engagement and Community Relations for Sustainable Quality of Life Development and Strong Communities

This study aimed to 1) survey issues in the communities and organize ten community projects to resolve the issues, 2) integrate the bodies of knowledge, concepts, theories of Public Administration with students volunteering and 3) respond to the four missions of university engagement. This study is part of the classroom action research, the project evaluation course and the management innovation course. The subjects in the project were 150 students majoring in Public Administration from Suratthani Rajabhat University and Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thani Campus. The project operated during 2017-2019 beginning with the study of problems in the community covering Makham Tia Sub-district and Khun Thalae Sub-district, Muang District, Surat Thani Province. Then it was developed into a project to solve problems with the community, with groups of 10-15 students. Then the students proceeded to create a project, evaluate it and bring what they learned from various projects to take lesson learned together. The findings revealed that the student volunteers had positive conscience towards participating in designing and arranging the project as well as other activities that support the communities. Furthermore, these activities provided the students more opportunities to grow the spirit of volunteering and apply the practical knowledge to outside education. Each community had different problems, most of which were fundamental problems such as waste, environment, well-being and diseases. For another objective of the study, it was found that PDCA, POCCC, and system theory along were popular techniques used in the students' volunteering projects. For the last objective, the study found that organizing these projects created the process of participation for stakeholders in both public and private sectors. In addition to practising various skills to nurture the I-WISE identity, the students could achieve the university engagement on community relations for the development of the quality of life and sustainably strong community that conforms to the determination of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, "The benefit of fellow humans is the first activity". Keywords: Public Mind, University Engagement, Quality of Life Development, Strong Communities