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

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.