At George Mason University, the University Life office charged a university-wide committee to improve the coherence and coordination of collaborative programming. By designing and funding more diverse programming, the University Life office offers programs that are more inclusive of the campuses ethnic and cultural subgroups. Article provides an…

This annual report describes the activities of the Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) program during its first four funding rounds (1994-97). This federal program supports university-community partnerships in urban communities. Part 1 examines the federal role in such partnerships, primarily as a catalyst for adding key financial,…

There is a growing interest among organizations in identifying and nurturing Communities of Practice. Delineating what is and what is not a Community of Practice (CoP) is not a clear-cut task. One specific area of difficulty is distinguishing between a team and a CoP. Because there are strong similarities between the two, it is often helpful to…

In its relatively short lifetime, the European Community has implemented a responsive, developing educational policy addressing many social and economic issues affecting the life of the community. An emphasis on teaching the European dimension is aimed at increasing understanding of the community itself and mutual understanding among fellow…

This report presents a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) grant that enabled Arizona State University (ASU) to form a partnership where ASU applied university research and expertise to some of Phoenix's most difficult urban problems. COPC activities were designed to address needs…

Colleges and universities will have a growing role in urban development, in the revitalization of static or declining urban settings, and in setting quality standards for land conservation. Precedents exist in the past and current involvement of a variety of major institutions in projects reflecting both community and institutional needs. (MSE)

Community colleges, it is stated, are defined by outcomes as well as process: lifelong education for individual and community development. Community colleges have helped meet specific needs in their communities and many have cooperative arrangements with other organizations, agencies, and institutions in their communities. (MLW)

This report describes the Colorado Rural Revitalization Project (CRRP) and the participant rural communities between 1988-1991. The CRRP, established in 1988, consists of a partnership among rural Colorado communities, Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.…

This paper contrasts two types of university partnerships: first, the Colorado Partnership for Educational Renewal (CoPER), between six higher education institutions and 12 school districts in Colorado; and, second, 10 separate community-university partnerships (CUP). Each CUP was based on an asset (as opposed to a deficit) model and developed and…

This paper offers definitions and descriptions, and explores the dynamics, of "strategic grantseeking" as a means of supporting economic development programs. Strategic grantseeking is a natural and dynamic tool usable with any economic development program. It consists of a set of concepts, procedures, and tools which are integrated into…

This paper describes formative evaluation procedures of a collaborative program developed by the University of Georgia's Rural Revitalization Initiative. The initiative represents a collaboration of units at the university and among local people from several different areas and disciplines. Twelve Georgia counties participated in the project,…

Michigan State University's Center for Urban Affairs is contributing their expertise, research skills, and volunteer time to help Benton Harbor revitalize. Faculty members and students have already completed studies on street repairs, the homeless, and hotel development. (MLW)

This report describes and evaluates the Colorado Rural Revitalization Project (CRRP). CRRP was established in 1988 as an experimental approach to institutional collaboration to provide community development services among selected rural communities of less than 5,000 people. CRRP consisted of a partnership among rural Colorado communities,…

A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign program involving faculty and students in participatory action research to improve community-based organizations in East St. Louis (Illinois) is described. The project's origins, management, community development strategy, and accomplishments are documented, and some of the institutional, environmental,…

Since the mid-1980s, the Tuscany (Italy) regional government, the University of Florence (adult education department), and the Commune of Castelfiorentino have participated in a joint project aimed at narrowing the ever-widening gap between different segments of the Castelfiorentino population with regard to education and culture. The project…