BEST ENGAGEMENT MODEL

A Shared Model for Engaged Scholarship

The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences has adopted an adapted version of the Uniscope Model as a shared framework for guiding and strengthening its community engagement initiatives. The model recognises teaching, research and community engagement, including service and outreach, as interconnected continuums of scholarship, rather than separate areas of academic activity. At the centre of this approach is a commitment to interprofessional education, creating opportunities for students to bridge the traditional boundaries between research, teaching and service while learning to respond collaboratively to community needs.The model provides a direct link to UWC’s Scholarship of Engagement (SOE) Model by offering a structured approach to community integration. As the Faculty's Student-Led Wellness Centres and community outreach initiatives have expanded across urban, peri-urban and rural communities in the Western Cape, the need for a common approach that can be understood and applied across disciplines has become increasingly important.By introducing the adapted Uniscope Model across the Faculty, CHS is creating a shared language and framework through which disciplines can plan, implement and reflect on their community-engaged work. This supports greater coherence across initiatives while strengthening the Faculty's ability to identify connections between projects, share good practice and build on collective learning.The model also supports the systematic documentation and monitoring of community-engaged research and practice. Projects, including the vocational and work skills rehabilitation initiative, can be captured through the Community Engagement Database, enabling the Faculty and the broader University to maintain a record of its engagement activities and to begin measuring their contribution and impact within communities.In this way, the model has the potential to extend beyond individual projects or disciplines. It provides a practical mechanism for modelling and disseminating best practices in engaged scholarship, supporting a common approach to community integration while strengthening the connections between teaching, research, service and community engagement.One model. A shared language. Connected scholarship. Stronger community impact.

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