Faculty Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges of the Community Service Mission: The Case of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
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Date
2025-05
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
This study aimed to examine faculty perceptions of community service and identify factors that
influence them. It also intends to explore community service practices and the methods through
which the community service mission is implemented at Addis Ababa University. Additionally,
the challenges faculty face in fulfilling their community service mission are addressed.
The study was conducted at Addis Ababa University, and the necessary data were collected from
faculty members, vice deans, department heads, community service professionals, and official
documents through in-depth interviews and document review.
The results show that faculty perceptions of community service depend on whether it is viewed as
independent or integrated, voluntary or mandatory, professional or non-professional, and whether
the university or the individual initiates it. These perceptions significantly affect faculty
engagement. Key influencing factors include unclear policies, low institutional priority,
inconsistent promotion practices, and lack of accountability. Faculty also face challenges due to
limited institutional support, weak leadership commitment, and inadequate structures. Despite
limited implementation, some strategies include externally funded projects, university-led
initiatives, service-learning, and volunteer or staff-initiated activities.
The findings reveal too that faculty face different hindrances in implementing the community
service mission. The difficulties are grouped into four categories: challenges related to
communication, engagement, and awareness; barriers involving organizational, policy, and
structural issues; financial and resource constraints; and setbacks in reporting and measuring
community service activities. The study also highlights the impact of the teaching-research-service
balance on faculty engagement in community service.
Therefore, there is a pressing need to make community service a more central part of faculty roles
and implement more explicit accountability measures to ensure that faculty members participate
in community service activities. The results of the study imply the necessity of creating clear
guideline that facilitates the engagement of academic staff in community service initiatives,
awareness-raising sessions for the faculty on community service, promoting a culture of
engagement and empathy, and establishing partnerships within different units of the university can
lead to the successful accomplishment of the mission's objectives. It is recommended that the
university revise its community service guidelines, conduct a needs assessment before planning
activities, encourage collaboration between faculties, and identify and address gaps in the
organizational structure to ensure all faculty members can participate. The study underlines the
importance of addressing faculty attitudes and institutional limitations in the community service
mission. It emphasizes the need for collaborative action, informed strategies, and ongoing research
to enhance community service initiatives in higher education institutions.
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Keywords
Faculty Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges of the Community