Chapter 15: Conducting Community-Engaged Work
Conducting Community-Engaged Work
It is expected that you will use professional behaviour and treat people with respect, just as you would like to be treated.
Professional Behaviour
If you are going out in the community, then your Community Partners will expect you to behave professionally. Doing so is one way to follow the principles of Reciprocity and Openness to Learning and to show partners respect. It will also help ensure McMaster is able to further the relationship and its continuity. Your behaviour is a reflection of McMaster University.
Check Your Reactions
Part of following the Community Engagement Principles and behaving professionally in the community is making sure your reactions to situations are appropriate. You may not always be prepared for what may happen and it can be a challenge when you feel like things are out of your control or that there is a situation that you want to fix. Remembering to take a deep breath and count to ten, putting on a smile, or asking for advice will go a long way. Many workplace misunderstandings or problems arise from a lack of information or understanding, so if you can approach challenges with a willingness to learn, then you are going to be successful.
Social Media Footprint
Remember the permanence of social media in your interactions. It is your responsibility to be professional and maintain the confidentiality of your Community Partners. It could be very damaging for your Community Partners and the university if it is discovered you have been complaining or ranting online about something related to your experiential learning. It can also affect your professional and student reputation. If you need to vent, choose a good friend or classmate and share your feelings in person or in a non-permanent forum.
Some community groups would rather not be highlighted on Instagram or Twitter and would prefer your interactions with them to be kept private. For example, a patient may not want their photo taken at the hospital, or a family using a food bank may not want to appear in your class presentation. Always ask your community partner for permission before taking photos, and ask their explicit permission to share those photos each time you share them.
Below are four case scenarios. Please use the “[>]” and “[<]” arrows at the bottom of each slide to move forward and backward through the scenarios accordingly. After reviewing the scenarios, please select at least one and enter your response in the open text box. When you are finished, navigate to the final slide to download your answers.
