Why one-way university outreach falls short

Done well, university outreach builds trust, relevance and shared understanding among the communities that academics seek to connect with. Done poorly, however, it reinforces the very perception many institutions are trying to dismantle: the idea of the university as an “ivory tower”, producing knowledge that feels distant, imposed or disconnected from people’s lives.

The difference between these two outcomes lies in how we approach the work. Outreach and engagement connect universities with the communities they serve. In the US land-grant system, extension provides a formal structure for this mission. Regardless of the model, knowledge should flow not only outward from universities but also back into them. For land-grant universities, this connection between research, education and communities through ongoing partnerships is part of our mission. 

For me, the answer is to move towards knowledge co-production.

From dissemination to co-production

Universities generate knowledge, then share it with communities. This dissemination can be valuable, especially when people need access to new information. But it is not enough. I have found that starting with answers is often the fastest way to lose trust.

In my work as an extension specialist in sustainable biomaterials marketing, I approach outreach as a loop rather than a line. It begins with questions from the communities themselves. Before designing a research project, I start with a needs assessment. What challenges are people facing? What decisions are they trying to make? What knowledge would be useful in their context?

• How to engage with stakeholders for research that matters
• Why universities must step up their efforts as civic institutions
• ‘We stopped talking at communities and started working with them’

From there, research is developed alongside stakeholders, often using community-based approaches that allow for continuous input and adaptation. And when results emerge, we don’t simply publish or present them but rather they are brought back to the community, discussed, tested and refined. This shift – from asking “What can I study?” to “What do people need?” – has fundamentally changed how I understand my role as a university faculty member.

This is what I mean by co-production: knowledge created with communities, not just for them.

Build knowledge from real-world problems

When outreach is treated as a one-way process, it can unintentionally create distance. If communities feel that knowledge is being “pushed” on to them – especially if it is highly technical or not clearly relevant – they may disengage. In some cases, it can even reinforce scepticism: why is the university telling me this?

One of the most effective ways to make outreach meaningful is to anchor it in real-world challenges. For example, we worked with stakeholders in the forest products industry who were trying to make more optimal decisions in their operations. As we sat in early conversations with industry partners, it became clear that data existed but was not being used effectively in day-to-day decision-making. So, rather than developing solutions independently, we worked alongside industry partners to identify practical approaches that could improve outcomes – both operationally and economically.

This kind of work requires ongoing communication, flexibility and willingness to learn from the community as much as we contribute to it. That way, it is far more likely to produce results that are used.

Invest in communication as a core skill

One of the challenges in outreach is that many of us are trained as researchers or scientists but not as communicators. We are skilled in generating knowledge but not always in translating it in ways that resonate with different audiences. As someone trained primarily as a researcher, I had to learn – sometimes the hard way – that clarity and trust matter just as much as technical accuracy. 

Looking ahead, effective outreach will become even more important as universities engage with complex, and sometimes contested, issues.

Consider the proliferation of data centres in response to global demand for digital infrastructure. These developments raise important questions for communities about resource use, environmental impact and local benefit. Most often, the communities that host these data centres for large organisations, such as Amazon and Google, are not even the primary beneficiaries of them. This leads to public distrust and anger. The issue is especially topical here in Virginia, which has more data centres than any other US state at the moment – and by a large margin. 

Helping communities understand the trade-offs, while ensuring that their concerns shape decision-making, requires dialogue. This is where outreach, when done well, can play a critical role: not just informing but facilitating understanding between different stakeholders.

Rethinking what ‘works’

Effective outreach is not simply about how much information we share. It is about whether that information is relevant, trusted and shaped by the people it is meant to serve. It is about moving from one-way dissemination to ongoing exchange. And, ultimately, it is about recognising that the most impactful knowledge is not created in isolation but in partnership.

The idea behind this approach is closely aligned with Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim – That I May Serve. If we get that right, outreach can do more than extend the university’s reach. It can reshape how the university itself is understood – as an institution that listens first and serves by co‑creating knowledge with the communities it exists for.

Pipiet Larasatie is assistant professor and extension specialist in the department of sustainable biomaterials in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech.

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