Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges

Abstract Amidst growing expectations for higher education institutions (HEIs) to address societal challenges through multi-perspective educational and research activities, this study examines the institutional status and level of support for campus-community partnerships (CCPs) at Austrian HEIs. By...

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Main Authors: Magdalena Fellner, Paul Rameder, Katharina Resch, Mariella Knapp, Claudia Fahrenwald, Peter Slepcevic-Zach
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00542-4
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author Magdalena Fellner
Paul Rameder
Katharina Resch
Mariella Knapp
Claudia Fahrenwald
Peter Slepcevic-Zach
author_facet Magdalena Fellner
Paul Rameder
Katharina Resch
Mariella Knapp
Claudia Fahrenwald
Peter Slepcevic-Zach
author_sort Magdalena Fellner
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Amidst growing expectations for higher education institutions (HEIs) to address societal challenges through multi-perspective educational and research activities, this study examines the institutional status and level of support for campus-community partnerships (CCPs) at Austrian HEIs. By leveraging a survey conducted among 107 university teachers, the research explores the current perception and implementation of CCPs in the academic landscape. The findings indicate that the integration of CCPs is deeply intertwined with the organizational framework of HEIs, highlighting that while campus-community partnerships are seen as valuable for enhancing the educational experience and community as well as for organizational development, they remain largely unsupported by the necessary institutional structures and formal processes. The study concludes with recommendations for improving the design and framework of CCPs to better meet the evolving demands of higher education engagement with societal challenges, and suggests a more structured approach to institutionalizing these partnerships, taking into account the specific organizational context for implementing effective collaborations.
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series Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
spelling doaj-art-bbf06ef8f6ae4cf0ba2b1f3d63ce3bf72025-08-20T02:10:34ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship2192-53722025-06-0114112210.1186/s13731-025-00542-4Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challengesMagdalena Fellner0Paul Rameder1Katharina Resch2Mariella Knapp3Claudia Fahrenwald4Peter Slepcevic-Zach5International Center for Higher Education Research (INCHER), University of KasselInstitute for Nonprofit Management and Governance, Vienna University of Economics and BusinessUniversity of Education Upper AustriaUniversity of ViennaUniversity of Education Upper AustriaUniversity of GrazAbstract Amidst growing expectations for higher education institutions (HEIs) to address societal challenges through multi-perspective educational and research activities, this study examines the institutional status and level of support for campus-community partnerships (CCPs) at Austrian HEIs. By leveraging a survey conducted among 107 university teachers, the research explores the current perception and implementation of CCPs in the academic landscape. The findings indicate that the integration of CCPs is deeply intertwined with the organizational framework of HEIs, highlighting that while campus-community partnerships are seen as valuable for enhancing the educational experience and community as well as for organizational development, they remain largely unsupported by the necessary institutional structures and formal processes. The study concludes with recommendations for improving the design and framework of CCPs to better meet the evolving demands of higher education engagement with societal challenges, and suggests a more structured approach to institutionalizing these partnerships, taking into account the specific organizational context for implementing effective collaborations.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00542-4Campus-community partnershipsInstitutionalizationCommunity engagementThird missionOrganizational learning
spellingShingle Magdalena Fellner
Paul Rameder
Katharina Resch
Mariella Knapp
Claudia Fahrenwald
Peter Slepcevic-Zach
Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Campus-community partnerships
Institutionalization
Community engagement
Third mission
Organizational learning
title Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
title_full Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
title_fullStr Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
title_full_unstemmed Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
title_short Institutional status and support for campus-community partnerships in Austrian higher education: exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
title_sort institutional status and support for campus community partnerships in austrian higher education exploring faculty perceptions of implementation and challenges
topic Campus-community partnerships
Institutionalization
Community engagement
Third mission
Organizational learning
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00542-4
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