Public Engagement

This afternoon I led a discussion of public engagement with students and faculty of the graduate program in Water Resources Science at the University of Minnesota. I began with the UM/CIC definition of engagement:

"Engagement is defined as the partnership of university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to

• enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity;
  
• enhance curriculum, teaching and learning;
  
• prepare educated, engaged citizens;
  
• strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility;
  
• address critical societal issues;
  
• and contribute to the public good."

and I tried to connect each point to the kinds of work or issues that water resources teachers and researchers might encounter.

I also wrote down a list of Dos and Don'ts in Public Engagement:

• Don't lock yourself up in the ivory tower.
  
• Don't try to impose solutions on public partners.
  
• Don't treat problems as purely scientific or technical; recognize the implications for citizenship and democracy.
  
• Engage partners in discussions of problems to be solved, and constraints on solutions.
  
• Take advantage of local expertise and insight, recognizing that teaching and learning can be bidirectional
  
• Be prepared for extended discussions of issues and options.
  
• Try to relate to public partners as people, not as clients.
  
• Give students experience in working with publics.
  
• Introduce public engagement issues, history, techniques, etc. into classroom instruction.

but never got to most of the points because the questions and comments started coming fast and furious.

Particularly notable, I thought, was the concern with the political aspects of work in an area with such a strong public impact as water resources. These are big issues, affecting many people with strongly held interests, and it's clear that skills in politics, debate, and communication are just as necessary as scientific and technical knowledge if rational choices are to be made. The emphasis must be kept on the data and evidence, however good the political and communication skills, if credibility is to be maintained. If that can be done, then vigorous debate over water resource issues can be a good exemplar of how to "strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility".