Our Story
September 2011
President Patrick Deane issued an open letter to the McMaster Community, titled “Forward With Integrity”.
Forward With Integrity outlines the priorities that are to be the focus of the University’s efforts over the next decade.
Community Engagement was outlined as one of these priorities.
February 2012
Community Engagement Task Force
A Community Engagement Task Force was formed with members who represented a broad range of community experience and were given the task of considering ways in which community engagement (CE) could be embedded into the culture of the University.
The Community Engagement Task Force Position Paper highlighted the wealth of CE initiatives, both curricular and co‐curricular, involving McMaster faculty, staff, students, alumni and retirees and stated that “In order to better coordinate these activities and align them with the academic mission, the University must develop a broad understanding of the definition of CE and its underlying principles as well as a cohesive strategy on which to focus its efforts.”
October 2013
As recommended by the CE Task Force, the Network for Community-Campus Partnerships was created.
The Network for Community-Campus Partnerships is the structure that supports McMaster’s work with our community partners to achieve our collectively-developed goals. Managed by the Office of Community Engagement, the Network will foster ongoing relationship-building between community and University partners through a variety of approaches to take on short-term actions that focus on the pillars of community engagement in contributing to work towards our long-term goals.
June 2015 – June 2016
Strategic Plan Consultations and Launch
In June 2015, the Network launched a strategic planning process to develop a 2016-2021 strategic plan—this document is the culmination of this collaborative effort, setting the direction for the next 5 years of community engagement at McMaster.
2016-2020
2021 & Beyond
Our current strategic plan includes:
Key Strategies
Building relationships and connecting the dots between regional, national, global networks, Hamilton, and McMaster.
Building community engagement capacity through tools, programs, and infrastructure.
Intended Impact
Developing 500 community-engaged partnerships by 2025.
Ultimate Impact
Inclusive sustainable greater Hamilton.
