This guide is a strategic "ground level" guide for presidents and chancellors and other campus leaders that offers a working definition of public engagement for institutions of higher education, provides examples of campus-wide commitment to engagement initiatives, and proposes concrete actions for institutions, public policy makers, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) to promote a fuller commitment to the concept of engagement. The guide contains a statement of the importance of public engagement for all primary stakeholders--communities, institutions, faculty, and students. It also contains an assessment of the current state of engagement among AASCU institutions, based on a 2001 survey of AASCU member institutions and subsequent site visits to institutions exemplifying particularly good practice. The assessment was constructed around a model for institutional engagement, resulting in a comparison of the "ideal" with the "real." The document also presents recommendations for institutions and their leaders, the AASCU, and policymakers to promote more and better public engagement efforts and thoughts on presidential leadership as a vital part of an institution's engagement initiatives. The document is meant to be a strategic "toolkit" for state college and university chief economic officers, but it can serve as a resource for local leaders and policymakers. Appendixes contain guidelines for good practice and a discussion of the survey methodology. (SLD)