In 2018 ACU Engagement, supported by the Office of Planning and Strategic Management (OPSM), conducted the third Staff Community Engagement Activity Survey to assess the scale, diversity and type of community engagement activities undertaken by ACU staff.
The open-ended responses provided detailed feedback on areas of community engagement that respondents perceived are working well, as well as areas for improvement and consideration.
Staff told us that they would like more information on community engagement, more opportunities to participate, a combination of one-off and ongoing activities, and the capacity to link opportunities to their areas of expertise.
As a result of this feedback we have expanded the information on our website, increased the presence of community engagement on Workplace and in the Staff Bulletin, and worked with existing and new community partners to expand the range of opportunities.
Staff told us that workload allocation would assist their further participation in community engagement.
As a result of this feedback ACU Engagement worked with HR to develop a Community Engagement Time Release policy, which was launched on Tuesday 30 April. This new policy allows staff to apply for up to five days each year to participate in approved community engagement activities and bring the University’s mission to life.
ACU Engagement will provide support in identifying activities that are available with our community partners and connecting staff with these opportunities. Keep an eye on our website as we continue to add new staff opportunities into the future.