This article presents a brief synthesis of an interview with Professor Irene Sheridan, an expert in the field of external engagement in higher education.
INTRO
Coming from industry in 1997 Irene started in CIT as a lecturer, passionate about bridging the gap between learning in the workplace and in the classroom. Irene views external engagement as a broad spectrum of activities centring on how learning in the workplace is integrated and valued within academia and vice versa. She speaks of a non-linear learning continuum between further and higher education, and workplaces. Irene sees progress in many areas such as efforts around Work Integrated Learning (WIL), and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). She discusses the challenges inherent within the HEI system in Ireland to fluidly integrating these ‘places’ of learning and calls for innovative leadership.
ARGUMENT
Since the mid 2000’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland have experienced an unprecedented growth in participation (student numbers up 62% since 2007), a significant drop in funding (expenditure per student down 18%) and a seismic shift in expectations from government and the public. These changes create multiple competing priorities for HEI leadership to tackle and although Irene believes external engagement is a key function of HEIs, she understands that support from leadership wax and wanes according to current policies. She remains positive however, especially regarding the shared understanding of the importance of WIL and hopes that all the national efforts in this area (often overlapping) collide to realise they’re all talking about the workplace as a valid and valuable centre for learning.
Challenges
She discussed a number of pre-existing challenges to more coherent systemic progress, most notably:
- The traditional restrictive contract limits ability to allocate academics’ time to engagement or value it explicitly during promotional opportunities.
- The historical tendency to hire staff from industry (who brought established networks), has shifted towards hiring at lower rates of pay, these staff tend to be young PhD qualified people without industry experience, contacts, or confidence to engage.
- Measuring outcomes and impact from engagement is complex and nuanced. “The most frustrating thing for me is the focus on numbers and € value”.
- Funding to support time, hiring experienced industry staff and resources for effective collaboration.
Innovation and Leadership
Despite these challenges Irene believes that ultimately the culture of an organisation is created through leadership clearly delivering a message that engagement is valued and important here. She has some innovative ideas for leadership:
- Reserve parking spaces for staff who are out engaging with industry.
- A staff breakfast forum giving ten slots to staff who have done something new and different with a company.
- A buddy system where senior experienced staff help newer staff to develop confidence.
CONCLUSION
Reflecting on the ebb and flow of progress in this area she believes that “the limitations now to us thinking differently, breaking down the divides and putting the right structures in place, is honestly, vision. There is no point in throwing funding at it until there is a coherent vision”.