Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Community Service in University
Curricula
Nigel J. Livingston
Abstract
CanAssist is a university-based program at the University of
Victoria that is dedicated to developing and providing services and technolo-
gies to those with disabilities. All of CanAssist's activities are in response
to requests from the community. The program has engaged many thousands
of students (from a broad range of disciplines), faculty and staff, as well as
many hundreds of community volunteers. The CanAssist model extends the
traditional mandate of universities, to undertake research and education, by
adding a third core pillar of activity - community service. This additional
task is highly augmentative in that it creates outstanding new research av-
enues and provides students with a myriad of extraordinarily challenging and
rewarding experiential learning opportunities.
7.1 Introduction
This paper provides an overview of CanAssist, a program dedicated to em-
powering those with disabilities, removing barriers to their full inclusion in
society, and creating tools that will provide them with greater autonomy and
independence.
A critical component of the CanAssist model is the extension of the tra-
ditional mandate of universities, to undertake research and education, by
adding a third core pillar of activity - community service. This additional
task, rather than reducing a university's capacity to fulfill its traditional
role, is highly augmentative in that it creates outstanding new research av-
enues and provides students with a myriad of extraordinarily challenging
and rewarding experiential learning opportunities. Beyond this, by directly
