Calender 2008

Chapter 4 – Academic and research focus

UTS Shopfront

This information is current as at January 2008. The latest information is available from UTS Shopfront.

UTS Shopfront is a unique UTS program that links disadvantaged and under-resourced community groups to the University's skills, resources and expertise to undertake community-initiated projects and research and to provide flexible community-based learning for students.

Shopfront's vision is to have a social benefit and to advance the principles of flexible learning through developing collaborative research and teaching and learning activities. The program encourages knowledge and skills transfer between the community and the University, and an ongoing relationship between UTS and communities who can significantly benefit from partnerships with the University.

Through Shopfront, students carry out community-based projects through their subjects under the supervision of academics. UTS Shopfront has a broad skills base with access to all nine UTS faculties.

In 12 years, Shopfront has facilitated more than 400 completed projects and events that have added more than $16 million to the community and involved thousands of people including UTS students and staff, community partners and others. The quality of this community engagement was recognised in 2005 when Shopfront received a National Award for Community Engagement and Teaching from the Carrick Institute.

The program also develops forums, seminars and workshops in response to community need including training in project management, computing skills, grant application writing, and media and public advocacy skills.

Shopfront's ongoing support for the scholarship of engagement includes a number of research initiatives.

  • Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement is an academic electronic journal concerned with international best practice and processes of university?community engagement jointly edited with Loyola University, Chicago.
  • The Research Monograph Series publishes high impact, refereed research from UTS which is of interest to the community sector.
  • The Student Monograph Series showcases excellence in student research through Shopfront.

    • Management

    Academic Director

    Associate Professor Paul Ashton

    Alternate Academic Director

    Associate Professor Stephen Wearing

    Program Manager

    Pauline O'Loughlin

    Community Engagement Coordinator

    Lisa Andersen

    Inquiries

    UTS Shopfront
    CC01, City campus
    telephone +61 2 9514 2900
    fax +61 2 9514 2911
    email Pauline.OLoughlin@uts.edu.au
    http://www.shopfront.uts.edu.au

     

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