Structural changes in European universities have been the subject of a significant body of research analyzing how governance is affected by external stakeholders such as states, markets, and other academic institutions, and the influence of internal stakeholders such as faculty and students. As state-imposed reforms interact with national…

Long-term demographic trends, combined with low productivity and pressure on public finances have set in place the preconditions for a major revolution in public services. Governments face new demands including for security which will lead to more centralization, but social and environmental services for a more complex society call for greater…

Regardless of the source of funding, university quality is based on knowledge, teaching, and research, and hence cannot be run like private enterprises as they are expert organisations that provide solely a public service. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through the analysis of case studies, whether or not management theory,…

This paper reports on a research project investigating the role of universities in South Africa in contributing to poverty reduction through the quality of their professional education programmes. The focus here is on theorising and the early operationalisation of multi-layered, multi-dimensional transformation based on ideas from Amartya Sen's…

Thompson and Lamble describe the evolution, role, and characteristics of university extension, identifying uncertainty and confusion about the field. They compare community and instructional orientations and synthesize concepts of extension and public service. Lauzon's response suggests the need to account for the changing context of university…

Colleges' and universities' commitment to community service is largely lip service. Conditions that would encourage more than just the very committed do not exist on most campuses. Communities are not voids to be organized and filled by the more knowledgeable; they are well-developed, complex, and sophisticated organisms that demand to be…

Argues for redefining the mission of the 21st-century university in order to focus on one overriding objective serving the public. Effective, expanding engagement with communities provides expertise and service to communities in ways in which universities are co-equal partners with other organizations and interests; it also provides rich…

Canadian universities are urged to take the initiative, in consultation with leaders in both government and the community, towards determining through what mechanisms publicly-provided university resources can most effectively be deployed in a public service thrust toward the improvement of the quality of Canadian life. (LBH)

The college of agriculture at the University of California at Davis has used cooperative extension for renewing its social contract with the public in the area of education. However, this result does not necessarily extend to its impact in the field of agriculture. (MSE)

Criticism of the cost of continuing professional education programs in social work ignores two important factors: (1) such programs provide an important public service that add demand above and beyond their own enrollments; and (2) while short-term profit is limited, the long-term investment is in educational quality. (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the outreach and service function of the university looks at the collaborative nature of university/community relationships, the challenge and potential for finding faculty to participate, growing faculty-development opportunities, and the university's changing responsibility in the relationship. Examples are offered from programs at…

Argues that both global interdependence and the need to preserve higher education's freedom of inquiry and expression demand a greater commitment to public service, and that the college president's active participation in this endeavor is crucial. This role includes helping others develop a vision, educating Americans in working toward consensus,…

In light of the university's roles of providing advanced learning in a new educational market and addressing the complex issues facing the nation's future, this article offers 10 strategies including better interaction between teaching, research, and service; incentive and reward systems for university units and individual faculty that support…

Offers a former U.S. president's reflections on service and its role in higher education. Discusses personal experiences that shaped his views on service and examines ways in which colleges and universities can promote student service learning. Outlines some of the skills gained through service work and covers other issues. (RJM)