Community Engagement at Dal

Dalhousie in the Community

Dalhousie University has called Halifax (K’jipuktuk) home for more than 200 years. We are privileged to be part of such a vibrant community that is both rich in history and ripe with potential for the future. 

At Dalhousie, we embrace our role as a civic university, invested in holistic social and intellectual partnerships designed to support our communities, province, and the region. From the local opportunities we foster to the global challenges our researchers and students tackle every day, we are guided by our civic commitment. 

You can see this commitment in the transformative role our faculty and students play in our local healthcare system; in the programs and initiatives that help propel Nova Scotia’s start-ups and small businesses forward; and in the clinics, summer camps and community spaces that directly link our campuses with our community.

We offer several ways to keep our community engaged:

• Dalhousie's annual Community Report highlights the work of students, staff, faculty, and researchers from the past year, and their impacts on our local and global community. 
• Community Updates are distributed door-to-door and to inform our neighbours of news and upcoming campus events, future construction and renovation projects, and more.
• An annual Community Calendar is produced and distributed each fall to communicate important dates and information. 
• Partnerships and collaboration with important community partners, including the YMCA, Halifax Public Libraries, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, the United Way, and more.
• Convening a multi-stakeholder collaborative framework to address high-risk party culture and unsanctioned street parties in our shared neighbourhood. 
• Convening the Dalhousie Community Experience Committee (DCEC) to bring together a network of community developers from across the university in support the university’s strategic plan goals of being a civic and community-engaged university.

Agricultural Campus

Our commitment to community engagement extends beyond Halifax to our Agricultural Campus, located just outside of Truro, Nova Scotia.

We form community partnerships and connect with our neighbours through initiatives such as our annual Open House and Friends of the Garden association, Community Day, which welcomes thousands of visitors to the campus every July, as well as individual volunteering and mentoring efforts by faculty, staff and students. Learn more about the role the Agriculture Campus plays in the Truro community.

Civic University with Global Impact

Visit our Strategic Plan, Third Century Promise, to learn more about our  about our Civic University with Global Impact pillar and our achievements to date.

Our Community Engagement Principles

The Dalhousie Community Experience Committee (DCEC) is a network of community developers that support the university’s strategic plan goals of being a civic and community-engaged university. The DCEC convenes important discussions around broadening and encouraging public access to our university, building respectful and reciprocal relationships with community, and strengthening Dalhousie's impact in our communities.

In 2023, DCEC members developed community engagement principles for Dalhousie. These principles are inspired by numerous institutional commitments, including Dalhousie’s strategic plan, Third Century Promise, and are an outcome of a series of conversations with DCEC members.

Explore our engagement principles [PDF - 500Kb].

Contact

For questions or information about Community Engagement at Dalhousie, please contact community.engagement@dal.ca

Dalhousie University is committed to a respectful, transparent and reciprocal relationship with our community. University employees are part of this community, and have a right to a respectful work environment when interacting with members of the public. Our team is happy to assist with your inquiry; however, messages that are disrespectful, abusive, repetitive, or of a harassing nature may require the university to address concerning content and/or cease engagement.