Public land-grant universities have historically engaged with the public through knowledge extension in the agricultural sciences, which later grew into other forms of outreach. Given the important mission of land-grant institutions to positively impact agricultural sciences, this inquiry focuses on the role of agricultural extension and the…

Over the past decade, community engagement has emerged as an important priority among many colleges and universities. This study employs a multi-case study design to examine boundary spanning practices of research universities that have adopted a community engagement agenda. A model is advanced to conceptualize spanning behaviors and to inform…

United States National Guard and Reserve units--including their college student members--increasingly are deployed, resulting in students' abrupt withdrawals from college and subsequent re-enrollments after their return. This study explored student veterans' transitions from deployment back to their prior status as full-time college students at…

This article presents findings from a study examining the similarities and differences between Native American student perceptions and the perceptions of state representatives, university presidents, and faculty about persistence factors and barriers to degree completion specific to Native American students at three land-grant universities in…

The origins of the United States' land-grant universities is reexamined, and an alternative interpretation is offered. Establishment of these universities is seen traditionally as part of the educational evolution of the country; it is proposed that while educational reform played a minor role in their emergence, the primary motivation behind the…

From institutional histories, this article documents misconceptions that the early land-grant colleges were unique in the land-grant heritage, derived from student demand, "revolutionized" post-Civil War agriculture and industry, and enjoyed state favor. Our neglect to understand their dominant national role and incremental educational…

Three questions about the relationships between campus autonomy and measures of faculty quality, student quality, and external funding are examined. The results suggest that changes in these measures of university quality are more influenced by state financial support than by state regulation. (Author/MLW)

A study of 50 land grant universities found increasing involvement in economic development activities. Historically black colleges appeared to be comparatively less involved, and institutions with larger budgets appeared more committed to economic development. University location (region) was not a significant factor. (MSE)

Citation analysis of 92 articles published about the aircraft and electronic equipment industries investigated the higher education institutions with which cited authors were associated. Results indicated research expenditures, faculty quality and salary, and land-grant status were predictors of research use; urban location and presence of…