Creating and sustaining university-community partnerships: A case study on the DLSU-COSCA-Buklod-Tao, Inc. experience

• Main Author: Guanzon, Marietta P.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Community and college—Philippines; Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/7529
• Institution: De La Salle University

The relationship between university and community during the medieval times has been separate or disconnected perpetuating the prevailing culture of the "town-gown" relationships. Fortunately, over the years, relationships began to evolve as a shift from the old government paradigm to the new governance paradigm emerged. Education institutions have become more community engaged in addressing local and national issues which paved the way to a more harmonious and reciprocal partnership between university and community. The university­ community interactions take in the form of experiential education, such as service-learning and community service involving community-based learning that treats partner communities as co-­teachers and co-formators. This paper aims to validate that university-community partnerships really work, is reciprocal, and can be sustained. A case example is presented on a successful reciprocal partnership between the DLSU-COSCA and Buklod-Tao, Inc. (See Appendix J) which span for 10 years. Key to its successful and sustained partnerships are: a) mutually agreed goals and development principles, b) well defined learning and service outcomes, c) efficient communications, d) conduct of capacity building, e) funding and other technical support, and, f) commitment for continuous monitoring and evaluation and knowledge dissemination. Finally, crucial recommendations to DSLU-COSCA, students, administrators, and partner organizations to ensure sustained reciprocal partnerships were enumerated.