Towards a new architecture of knowledge: The office of community-based research at the University of Victoria

Abstract

This work chronicles the founding, core activities, and ongoing challenges of the Office of Community-Based Research (OCBR) at the University of Victoria (UVic), established between 2006 and 2007. It is argued forcefully against framing this work as merely a "Third Mission" of service, positioning the OCBR instead as a mechanism for Community Engaged Scholarship—an integrating function that collapses the boundaries separating traditional research, teaching, and service. The paper details the OCBR's practical strategies for moving academic knowledge into direct community action. Firstly, the office brokers partnerships with diverse organizations, from municipal governments to First Nations communities. Secondly, it has been instrumental in co-founding the Vancouver Island Community Research Alliance (VICRA), which aligns five regional post-secondary institutions to address urgent shared issues like affordable housing and food security. Globally, the UVic model has informed broader movements through its leadership in establishing both Community-Based Research Canada (CBRC) and the Global Alliance for Community Engaged Research (GACER). Despite widespread institutional interest, the OCBR faces persistent challenges, particularly around securing permanent funding and gaining tenure and promotion recognition for engaged faculty. Ultimately, the chapter asserts that these brokering structures are essential, representing a vital new architecture of knowledge required to realize the full public potential of higher education in addressing complex social and ecological problems.