“Community engagement is the collaboration between institutions of higher education, such as VCU, and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in the context of partnership and reciprocity. It can involve partnerships and coalitions that help mobilize resources, influence systems, and serve as catalysts for initiating and/or changing policies, programs, and practices to achieve equitable impact.

VCU Definition of Community Engagement

Community Engagement: At A Glance

Vision

To integrate community engagement in all aspects of VCU's work, with the goal of addressing societal needs in partnership with communities and demonstrating civic responsibility through transformative learning and service.

Mission

Our mission is to build collaborative community partnerships that support shared goals and contribute to transformative learning, impactful research, and mutually beneficial outcomes in communities.

Values

The work of Community Engagement at VCU must be informed by core values that encapsulate our beliefs and attitudes associated with community engagement at VCU. We have identified 3 core values:

• Reciprocity

We believe that meaningful community engagement is a shared exchange where both the university and the community contribute and benefit.

Our partnerships honor local priorities and knowledge while connecting them with university expertise and resources.

Through openness, respect, and shared responsibility, we work together to create solutions that reflect the strengths and aspirations of all partners.

• Authentic Collaboration

We believe that true collaboration begins with understanding and honoring the context, history, culture, and lived experiences that make each community unique.

We recognize that meaningful partnership is built on mutual respect, transparency, and shared purpose.

Authentic collaboration means working alongside communities—listening deeply, valuing different perspectives, and co-creating solutions that reflect the strengths and priorities of the people we serve.

• Asset-based approach

We believe that every community holds valuable strengths, resources, and knowledge that form the foundation for meaningful engagement. We are committed to recognizing and building on these assets—cultural, social, institutional, and individual—while contributing the unique expertise and resources of VCU. This approach ensures that our partnerships are grounded in respect, reciprocity, and the belief that lasting change grows from the strengths already present in the community.

 

Partnership, Alignment, and Impact (PAI)

The framework of Partnership, Alignment, and Impact (PAI) is the cornerstone of community engagement at VCU. The PAI framework provides a structured approach to community engagement that emphasizes building partnerships and aligning university resources with community-identified needs. To promote effective community engagement, faculty, students, and the community are encouraged to incorporate the PAI framework into their activities. It can be used to guide the development of partnerships, ensure alignment of resources and goals, guide research activities, and measure impact. While flexibility is encouraged to allow for adaptations to specific contexts and situations, the PAI framework provides a strong foundation for transformative community engagement.

• Partnership: Building relationships with diverse stakeholders through collaboration and teamwork is essential to community engagement at VCU. Authentic, multi-sector partnerships informed by our core values are necessary to address complex, 21st-century problems and achieve broad and balanced impact. Our focus on partnerships aims to narrow the divide between universities and communities and create shared agendas to address social and economic issues.
• Alignment: The strategic alignment of university resources, processes, and scholarly pursuits with community-identified needs is crucial for creating relevance, delivering community benefit, and promoting social and economic well-being. An adaptive infrastructure that supports broad participation and accountability is key to aligning VCU's goals with city, state, and regional priorities.
• Impact: Community engagement at VCU must be driven by a purpose to create impact. This includes building sustainable relationships that lead to value-driven partnerships, opportunities for transformative research and education, excellent clinical care, and significant gains at the individual, family, and structural levels. Our efforts aim to prioritize processes and practices across the institution to promote significant outcomes aligned with VCU’s commitment to building healthy, prosperous, and thriving communities.