Birzeit University, Palestine

BirzeitUniversity, Palestine

Birzeit University has been deeply rooted in its local community since its inception as a primary school for village girls in 1924, and through the different stages of its evolution into a coeducation high school, a junior college, and finally into a university in 1972. The impact of military occupation on Palestinian society is the primary motivation for the university to strengthen its civic engagement initiatives to help the local community in different ways.

The university spearheaded civic involvement initiatives at a time when the diverse needs of Palestinian society were being neglected. The establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in the mid-1990s added further impetus to these efforts by recognizing the important role of higher education institutions in society. Consequently, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education today requires that institutions of higher education incorporate civic engagement as an integral part of their mission statement. This is further underpinned by the enthusiasm and commitment of students, faculty and other staff to make a contribution to society.

Approach to civic engagement

The university defines civic engagement in two ways. On the one hand it sees civic engagement as the involvement of all undergraduate students in the Community Work Program that is conducted by the Office of Student Affairs (see below). This includes various activities organized by the student council and student organizations. On the other hand, civic engagement at the institution is seen as the involvement of the university’s institutes and centers in areas of research and community outreach that are of vital importance to Palestine. Furthermore, all graduate programs in the university are in fields of study that contribute to national development, and these programs thus also contribute to this national development effort.

The provision of relevant community programs is a key aspect of the university’s mission, and the institution has taken bold steps to strengthen its community engagement role. Since it became a university in 1972, it made community work a requirement for awarding undergraduate degrees. In 1998 the university amended its Basic Regulation to create the post of a vice-president for Community Development. Finally, the university allocated an area of land as part of its Campus Site Plan for a CommunityDevelopmentCenter. The first building in the center is the Institute of Women’s Studies, which was completed earlier this year. The institute is currently one of the university’s units that foster civic engagement activities.

Integration of civic engagement into research and the development of new knowledge takes place at the institutes and centers of the university. So far, the university has developed the following institutes and centers:

• The Institute of Community and Public Health;
• The Law Institute;
• The Institute of Women’s Studies;
• The Institute of Water Studies;
• The Development Studies Program;
• The Center for Continuing Education; and
• The Environmental Health Program.

These centers and institutes carry out their community service activities through funds from donor agencies and soft (non-core) funding from the university. The university, however, is committed to cover any deficit that might occur. It also plans to extend its incentive policy to encourage a wider range of academic departments to get involved in civic engagement programs. All centers and institutes in the university offer graduate programs and involve students in their activities in this way.

Student-organized activities at the university as well as the organized institutional support for community through the Community Work Program are the most attractive forms of civic engagement programs for students.

Resources

The university’s institutes and centers that foster community service programs are largely funded by donor agencies. In addition, the university covers any deficit that might be incurred from its general funds. The university views a shortage of funding as a limiting factor rather than a barrier to its civic engagement efforts: ‘The effect is to slow down the rate of growth rather than inhibit this growth.’

Challenges

The university cites as its biggest challenge, to the institution generally, and its civic engagement programs in particular, Israeli military occupation. University plans are disrupted by factors such as checkpoints and barriers, which have become permanent features of life in Palestine. Another challenge arises from the continuous increase in student enrollment at the university, which puts pressure on the university’s financial and administrative resources. Hence, civic engagement activities at the university face growing competition from the other academic activities (teaching and research), all of which are seeking financial resources. Associated with this is the knowledge that greater recognition needs to be given to students and faculty who embark on civic engagement programs and initiatives.

Community Work Program

The Community Work Program at BirzeitUniversity was instituted in 1972, when the then college became a university. Under this program, all undergraduate students are required to complete 120 hours of approved unpaid community work as a requirement for their bachelor degrees. This requirement was given official status by having the hours of community work completed during each semester recorded on the student’s transcript of grades.

The Office of Student Affairs has been given the responsibility of running the program with a faculty member appointed for this purpose under the supervision of the dean of student affairs. Faculty members are encouraged to participate in the program.

The activities of the program include:

• Working with farmers during the harvest season, especially during the important olive-picking season;
• Working at hospitals, schools, and nurseries; and
• Working with women and local organizations.

These activities are undertaken in many localities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The geographical extent of the activities is limited only by restrictions on travel imposed by the occupation.

The program has been running for more than three decades, and according to the university, it has had an extensive and positive impact on the community as well as the students. The continuation and the expansion of the program are integral parts of the university’s future plans.

At a glance