The Role of Sabratha University in Community Service from the Perspective of Faculty Members

Abstract

        The present study aimed to identify the role of Sabratha University in community service from the perspective of its faculty members. It focused on assessing the university’s performance in social awareness and education, training and knowledge transfer, and the provision of direct services and support, as well as identifying potential shortcomings that may limit its effectiveness. The researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical method and used a structured questionnaire as the primary tool for data collection. The instrument demonstrated high reliability and validity, with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.95 and a validity coefficient of 0.97. The study sample consisted of 165 faculty members at Sabratha University, including 94 males (57%) and 71 females (43%), with the majority holding a master’s degree (80%) compared to 20% holding a doctorate. The statistical analysis revealed that the overall mean score for the university’s role in community service was 3.50, indicating a high level of contribution. The social awareness and educational dimension ranked first (mean = 3.75, relative importance = 75%), followed by training and knowledge transfer (mean = 3.40, relative importance = 68%), while direct services and support ranked last (mean = 3.35, relative importance = 67%). This suggests that the university performs strongly in awareness and training activities, though less so in direct service provision. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found between respondents’ evaluations based on gender or academic qualification, indicating broad agreement among faculty members regarding the university’s societal role.