Citizen involvement in education has increased in the last two decades as schools have sought to involve their communities in school matters. An increasing number of schools have formed partnerships with citizens and local businesses to provide volunteers, funding, and expertise to benefit students. Developing partnerships with local citizens and…

The dangerous communication gap between the university and the public is described. Barriers to effective communication are identified and suggestions are provided for eliminating them. Barriers include failure to perform up to expectations, lack of candor, lack of systematic plan for communication, and persuasion rather than information. (MLW)