Relevance and Quality of Universities’ Community Service: a study of Griffith University

In their mission statements most universities refer to the provision of community service. There is a continuum of such services. At one end is the general and indirect contribution through their teaching and research programmes. At the other are the specific and direct contributions through the use of their expertise and facilities. Within this context, Griffith University implemented a systematic assessment programme of its direct and specific community services. To gather data on the nature and extent of these services, the University conducted a detailed survey. To assess the quality and net effect of these activities, a programme of impact studies was conducted. Elements from the University bid for the opportunity to be included and 19 services which varied widely in aims, scope and target‐community were selected for funding. Evaluation methodologies adopted in these studies had in common an emphasis upon faculty‐community collaboration, a commitment to multiple data sources and types, and a concern for identifying trends and recommending improvements to current practices. This paper gives further details of this innovative approach to the evaluation of the community service performance of a contemporary university, and makes recommendations arising out of this project which may assist other universities in reflecting upon their policies and practice in this area.