About

About UCD in the Community

UCD in the Community was established in 2016, to support and promote community engagement across the UCD community. Community engagement is defined as:

The objective of UCD in the Community is to connect UCD staff and students with the wider community for mutual benefit, bringing their skills and expertise to support community-based organisations (CBOs), and in exchange, empowering the UCD community as socially aware citizens. Simultaneously, we aim to showcase current projects, teaching and research that work in a collaborative manner and contribute to positive and sustainable social outcomes.

UCD in the Community directly contributes to the UCD Strategy to 2030: Breaking Boundaries, and in particular to:

Strategic Pillar Three: Engaging for Impact. UCD in the Community will continue to build our engagement and deliver impact locally, nationally and internationally.

Key Strategic Initiative: UCD Student Experience. UCD in the Community can be identified in the Strategic Plan as a way to “support an increasingly diverse community of students to feel a sense of belonging at UCD, including through a wide range of opportunities in sports, societies, volunteering and student representation”.

While it is acknowledged that UCD has a long tradition of positively contributing to the needs of society, the UCD in the Community initiative has provided a structure through which civic engagement can be further embedded and increased throughout the university. In the short time since its establishment, UCD in the Community has greatly enhanced the contribution UCD is making to our local, national and international communities.

UCD in the Community focus on the development of three key areas:

1. Community partnerships with community-based organisations (CBOs)
2. Volunteering
3. Flagship community events