COMMUNITY INTERACTION 2009
Stellenbosch University's commitment to a productive partnership with various social, professional, educational, and business communities is coordinated through the University of Stellenbosch Service-learning and Community Interaction (USSC) unit. The unit is committed to the development of teaching, research and community interaction. The English Department's vision regarding community partnerships is guided by and encompassed within the USSC's mission which is to "facilitate systemic change in the Stellenbosch University where knowledge acquisition (learning) and knowledge discovery (research) can be applied (community interaction) to the benefit of communities with which it interacts through mutually beneficial partnerships". However, the department's own vision and mission statement informs the kinds of activities we conduct and the partnerships we attempt to forge; "affirming our location at the junction of the local and the global" translates to practically fostering ties with developing and underdeveloped sectors of our immediate communities, most notably, but not confined to the secondary and high school education sector.
The department embraces comprehensive description of staff members' activities outside their university duties, community interaction that broadly includes formal and funded community partnerships, unfunded individual activities for the academic community and neighbouring communities, and service learning. Service learning (SL) is broadly understood as a curriculum approach that integrates learning with community service or outreach work. SL incorporates academic learning and reflection, and it contributes to students' interest in and understanding of community life.
The department also supports student based organisations to further reach out to the local communities. The Impress English Society and Stellenbosch University Poetry Society (SUPS) are such beneficiaries. The success of these societies manifests itself in additional community projects such as reading clubs and poetry workshops for students in the local communities. Students also benefit from academic and creative writing seminars. While students learn to pay it forward by giving back into society the academic community also benefits with weekly enrichment seminars.
