Abstracts - 19.1 Metropolitan Universities and Community Engagement
Overview of the 2007 Conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities: "Metropolitan Universities and Community Engagement"
Robert L. Caret
Towson University was honored to host the 13th Annual Conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities in Baltimore's Inner Harbor in October 2007. More than three hundred faculty, staff, and senior level administrators representing approximately eighty institutions, national and international, came together for three days to discuss the latest research relevant to community engagement practices in today's urban and metropolitan universities. Our discussions explored potential solutions to the challenges our universities face while also raising important questions and issues that motivate our institutions to continue their work in our urban and metropolitan environments.
The Many Faces of Engagement
Lee S. Shulman
Keynote address presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, October 21, 2007, in
Baltimore, Maryland.
It is a delight to be here, associated again with the Lynton Award for Faculty Professional Service and Academic Outreach. The award recognizes my dear old friend, Ernest Lynton. I don't remember if it was the first or the second time the award was given when it was being presented by AHE, but I spoke on that occasion and Ernie was a dear friend. I am glad to see his wife Carla here today.
Research Students and Community Development: The Challenges of Integrating Academic Expectations with Community Needs and Values
Michael Darcy, Ruth Nicholls, Christopher Roffey, Dallas Rogers
While universities can play a major role in advancing research-based community development, academic discourses of rigor, quality and ethics often conflict with the participatory and collaborative approaches required by community development principles. While experienced academics often have difficulty negotiating these issues, they present greater challenges for research students whose work will ultimately be assessed on its "academic merit." This paper suggests specific areas where change is required to allow research students to engage effectively with the community.
Civic Engagement at the Intersection of Pedagogy and Community: Liberal Learning in Action Turns Four
Greg Bierly and Nancy Brattain Rogers
At Indiana State University, students confront civic realities through experiences provided within the Liberal Learning in Action classes. This program empowers students to make connections between community issues and the tools of "liberal learning," including critical analysis, appreciation of diversity and a strengthened ability to reflect and articulate. This article provides an overview of the design and scope of the program, followed by a detailed examination of evidence relating program outcomes to civic engagement.
University Real Estate Development Database: A Database-Driven Internet Research Tool
Wim Wiewel and Kara Kunst
The University Real Estate Development Database is an Internet resource developed by the University of Baltimore for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, containing over six hundred cases of university expansion outside of traditional campus boundaries. The University Real Estate Development database is a searchable collection of real estate projects that provides institutional demographics, project demographics, and detailed narratives of university expansion. The database allows the user to search independently, work in conjunction with researchers at the University of Baltimore, or submit additional information or relevant cases through a dynamic interface.
Civic Engagement and Black College Students: A Pilot Study
Barbara Hewins-Maroney
Anecdotal information indicated that many African American young adults in a Midwestern community were not engaged in organizations and institutions within the community. A pilot survey was developed and administered to thirty-nine college students ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-five to determine if the anecdotal information was accurate and what might be the causes of the lack of engagement. The pilot survey indicated that over 50 percent of the students had volunteered within a twelve-month period, but that their participation was not on-going. Students did not believe they were expected to participate in the affairs of their neighborhoods or in the overall community. They did, however, believe they were expected to participate in college activities. The initial survey indicated that the students had meager access to the leadership in the Black community and even less contact with local and state government officials. They did feel they had access to university staff and administrators. Implications of the pilot study point to the importance of a sense of belonging in defining one's community. A sense of belonging gives significance to engagement and empowers individuals to act in significant ways.
"Stayin' Alive:" Meeting Faculty Mid-Career Professional Renewal Needs
Amy Strage, Carolyn Nelson and Susan Meyers
We present findings from in-depth interviews with mid-career faculty who describe themselves as "thriving." As we ground ourselves in the theoretical contexts of Erikson's stage of "generativity vs. stagnation" and Dweck's construct of "growth mindsets," we discuss themes that run through their personal narratives and delineate key elements of the role campus leaders can play in maintaining the vitality of these "keystone" faculty.
Community Engagement Through Partnerships-A Primer
Armand Carriere
As more and more institutions look outside the campus walls for opportunities to serve their surrounding communities, a need has grown for guidance in developing true partnerships. There is no template that can be applied to campus-community partnerships. Each situation will be different and require different strategies, but a look at some basic tenets of community engagement seen through the prism of a new campus-community partnership being developed in Worcester, Massachusetts may provide guidance to individuals and institutions seeking to engage the campus with the community. Common threads throughout the discussion are open and honest communication among the partners and a recognition that resources and knowledge reside on and off the campus.
Connecting Art with Science and the University with the Community: The Prodigy Experience
Jerry Miller, William Rowe, Lisa Rapp-Paglicci, Robin Ersing
Prodigy is an example of a program that is successful due to its being a program that is community engaged. Prodigy is a community arts program, crime prevention and diversion program, serving ten thousand people in seven counties. This article discusses the roles, challenges, and successes of the partnerships with the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida and over fifteen community agencies.
A Fine Balance: Community Engagement and the Poise of a Metropolitan University
Paul L. Gaston
Leaders in an effectively engaged metropolitan university understand, agree on, and invest in thoughtfully chosen outreach commitments. The effective pursuit of such commitments requires also a balance among expectations, behaviors, and practices not always compatible. While outreach thrives on initiative, coordination is critical. Individuals energized by personal commitments must, nevertheless, serve an institutional vision. Though success often embodies the acceptance of risks, costs require careful and continuing scrutiny. Institutions that manage such balances well are most likely to succeed.
An Assessment of a University's Undergraduate Racial/Ethnic Climate: Implications for Fostering Student Development
Dr. Julie R. Ancis, Dr. Christine Gallant, and Dr. Ronald J. Henry
This article presents results of a racial/ethnic climate study conducted at Georgia State University (GSU). The study was designed to assess undergraduate student perceptions of the university's racial/ethnic climate. This included assessing student's overall level of satisfaction, satisfaction with GSU services and facilities, experiences with discrimination, and racial tension. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were employed. Implications for fostering more positive campus cultural climates and conducting similar surveys are presented.
