About Us

Vision

To be an exemplar for best practices in Higher Education CE programmes that focuses on Rural Development and Poverty Reduction in South Africa

Mission

The Directorate Community Engagement strives for excellence in supporting interdisciplinary community engaged teaching and learning, community engaged research geared towards addressing community poverty-related challenges and development needs of the communities in the Limpopo Province and in SADC rural communities.

Values

The following values influence CE programmes at Univen

• Vhuthu/Botho/Vumuhnu/Ubuntu
• People orientation: We listen to people and interact with communities so that teaching and learning programmes at UNIVEN has the community voice in them.
• Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary and Transdiciplinary Collaboration: We endeavour to support all interdisciplinary collaboration that is geared towards addressing shared challenges with communities 
• Authenticity, Responsibility and Accountability: We strive for honesty, responsibility and accountability for public good.
• Truthfulness and trustworthiness: We commit ourselves to cultivate community informed, credible, reliable and trustworthy research and learning programmes.
• Sharing: We share with the public, the knowledge, the challenges and the resources were possible towards public good. 
• Inclusivity: We embrace contributions from students, academic support and service staff towards public good. We embrace community engagement philosophies in teaching and learning, Research and Social responsibility programnmes of the University.

CE Strategic goals

Recognising that planning, coordination and management of CE activities appropriately rest with the schools and centres through Individual staff members, Deans and Heads of Departments, the directorate Community Engagement is expected to provide support and coordination functions between and amongst Schools and Centres. CE directorate

• Provides a intellectual and community informed leadership on community engagement programmes in Schools and centres;

• Mobilize, organize and interact with staff, students, rural communities and other stakeholders for responsive teaching and learning and research projects;
• Provides a platform for dialogue on public participation in higher education
• Serve as a nerve centre for engagement on issues of community interest
• Facilitate the creation of platforms and opportunities for work-based learning, service learning and other forms of experiential learning for students at various schools.