Communications and engagement

Why this theme?

At our community panel’s first session, participants were asked the following question: What does a good move by the Uni to the city look like?

As views were shared, a series of topics began to resonate, with twelve in particular rising to the surface. Later, everyone was asked to nominate which three of these topics they felt were most important for the panel to engage with. The top six were confirmed as The Shake Up’s ongoing themes, with communications and engagement being one of them.

What do we mean by communications and engagement?

The university is moving into Hobart’s CBD, but many members of the community feel that this hasn’t been communicated very well. A good communications and engagement process is open, honest and transparent, but so far, this hasn’t been the experience of many people in Hobart.

That’s where the community panel can make a big difference. By choosing to focus on communications and engagement as one of their six key themes, the panel can help bring community and stakeholder voices into the decisions that will affect them. They’ll also help accurately represent the diversity of views among the community.

They’ll tell the university when they aren’t being totally clear, or when what they’re saying isn’t reflected in what’s happening on the street and in the community.

Finally, the community panel will also function as a voice of the people, as they speak with the community and relay their feelings to the university on a regular basis.