SFU and the city: Exploring meaning in community engagement

This study investigates community-university partnership by examining the relationship SFU has with its local community of Vancouver and the impacts the institution has on the city in which it sits via its community engagement efforts. Through exploring the concepts of town-gown, multilevel governance, and citizen participation, a framework for analysis is established. Data collected from SFU’s website and ten community engagement professionals is analyzed in terms of procedural and substantive content. This study finds that there are multidimensional purposes of engagement, some of which include a brand, source of identity, cultural development, and policy building. Substantially however, community engagement also has far-reaching implications for the role of universities in community partnership.