Community engagement has evolved as a respected field and now occupies a seat at the academic table. In the past, this work had often been relegated to the institutional fringes of higher education, its practitioners marginalized, and the work often portrayed as service, not scholarly. Today, higher education community engagement is a dynamic and…

Many academic departments are making efforts to increase faculty and student community engagement as part of a movement to revitalize the civic function of higher education. A case study of the development of a public sociology program provides examples of steps that can be taken to involve educators and students in communities in multifaceted…

This article discusses the current dynamics at African universities concerning the quality of teaching, the role of research, the level of community outreach, and the position of higher education in the educational sector as a whole. Points of reference are experiences at the University of the North in South Africa as well as experiences at…

University faculty and outreach program directors have been called to deliver more effective, equitable, and sustainable ways in which neighborhood and university communities may creatively interact. The authors report on the case of the Pittsburgh Studio, an initiative that matches students and resident stakeholders in researching local issues…

In this article, the author talks about incorporating what those in academia do best--scholarship and teaching--and what government bureaucrats do best in administering housing and community revitalization programs into a strong and sustainable system of community engagement and outreach. He frames the discussion by focusing on some examples of…

Purpose: Higher education is increasingly being scrutinised and discourse centred on its usefulness to stakeholders. In 1992, the University for Development Studies (UDS) was established in Northern Ghana with a mission to engage with local communities to develop the area. This paper aims to understand the quality perspective of the university…

This report highlights the contributions of universities and colleges to local community revitalization efforts, focusing on the efforts of Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC), which provide seed money to institutions of higher learning to encourage and help them reach out to distressed local communities. The COPC program provides 3-year…

The "Lasting Engagement" series presents case studies of institutions of higher education that have succeeded in institutionalizing their commitment to community engagement. This introductory volume looks at an institution with a rich history. Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts, has been guided, since its beginnings in 1885,…

This interactive multimedia presentation is a new tool for promoting campus-community partnerships. The CD-ROM provides commentary on college-community partnerships, interviews with Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) Directors, staff, and students, and video of grantee activities. The presentations revolve around four themes central to…

When metropolitan universities refer to serving the entire metropolitan area, they often refer to rural fringes as well as concentrated urban populations. Working with rural communities requires somewhat different approaches to planning programs and understanding needs. Survey research helps the campus understand the perceptions and realities of…

Describes the development of the Humanities Out There (HOT) program as a response to a reduction in government spending in both the sciences and humanities. Discusses how the program incorporates elements of two very different perspectives on humanities education. Describes the implementation of this outreach program and its crucial link in the…

In response to a state budget deficit, the University of Minnesota Extension restructured its field staff, establishing a new regional and county delivery system, shifting all supervision of field staff to campus faculty, and encouraging greater field staff specialization, program focus, and entrepreneurial efforts. Nine economic concepts and…

A study examined the academic, research, and extension programs of selected agricultural institutions in the Asia-Pacific region in order to determine the extent of their involvement and participation in promoting rural development. Questionnaires were mailed to 65 institutions in 16 countries; 28 (43.1 percent) were returned from 10 countries:…

This report evaluates the Urban University Program (UUP), designed to improve urban outreach activities at eight Ohio Universities: Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Ohio State University, University of Akron, University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Wright State University, and Youngstown State University. The UUP provides…

Traditionally, university outreach and public service have been organized around two distinct, fragmented approaches: supporting research and instruction linked directly to economic and community development (extension education) and meeting continuing education needs. Two programs at the University of California, San Diego, use a regionally…