In his first inaugural speech, President Obama declared that "our schools fail too many" and an essential component of laying "a new foundation for growth" will be "to transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age." Concerns about our nation's position in the global education race have led to a focus on…

This article examines how the history of land-grant universities in America shaped the views of higher educators, public officials, and foundations on the role of urban universities in addressing the problems of American cities. Higher education leaders urged the federal government to provide funds that would enable urban universities to do for…

The University of Sydney has a long-standing record of commitment to social inclusion in tertiary education. The Australian government agenda has brought into sharp focus the importance of universities engaging with rural and remote communities. The University of Sydney provides placement opportunities and pathways to attract more undergraduate…

The authors present a synthesis and interpretation of trends visible in data from surveys and faculty commentaries regarding pre-tenure stress factors. The findings suggest that some of the pre-tenure stress new faculty report is related to flux in "what the world needs" and to contradictions between traditionally rewarded behaviors and those…

This issue of Metropolitan Universities includes papers emanating from the work of the Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative, a three-year (2004-2007) initiative designed to build capacity for community-engaged scholarship (CES) in health professional schools. As the core principles and challenges of CES are similar across…

The findings of the evaluation of the three-year Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative are presented, describing changes in institutional capacity for community-engaged scholarship, and changes in promotion and tenure policies and processes. The change process in the participating institutions is assessed using the Kotter model of…

Community-engaged scholarship (CES) is gaining legitimacy in higher education. However, challenges of institutionalizing and sustaining it as a core value remain. Significant barriers exist for faculty choosing to incorporate CES into their teaching and research. Faculty development programs are a key mechanism for advancing faculty skills as well…

The Peer Review Workgroup of the Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative developed a novel set of quality community-engaged scholarship characteristics and a resource package aimed at two primary audiences: faculty seeking promotion or tenure based on community-engaged scholarship; and review, promotion, and tenure committee members…

Communities across our nation--whether geographic, ethnic, or issue-based in their composition--are struggling to be healthy, to grow, and thrive. The production of knowledge and the sharing of knowledge by both the community and the higher education institution is the key to helping our communities improve. Retaining and valuing community-engaged…

At Indiana State University, students confront civic realities through experiences provided within the Liberal Learning in Action classes. This program empowers students to make connections between community issues and the tools of "liberal learning," including critical analysis, appreciation of diversity and a strengthened ability to reflect and…

Leaders in an effectively engaged metropolitan university understand, agree on, and invest in thoughtfully chosen outreach commitments. The effective pursuit of such commitments requires also a balance among expectations, behaviors, and practices not always compatible. While outreach thrives on initiative, coordination is critical. Individuals…

Accountability and evidence-based decision-making have become the mantra of government policymakers, and even private foundations. Yet most attempts to foster cultures of evidence have not brought about change in practices, notably because they are treated as management tools rather than learning processes. Equity for All is an approach to…

This article addresses the checkered history of school-college reform initiatives with regard to increasing college access among low-income youth. It considers what is missing in the reform movement and why policymakers and funders have grown impatient. Focusing on what is possible, this article suggests what is needed, recommending three…

This article will interweave a history of service learning and civic engagement in the California State University with profiles of campuses that have enjoyed significant success in developing their programs. In this paper, the disengagement between the Institutional Culture Cluster and three other clusters and/or indicators of engagement will be…

This essay describes how University of Alaska Anchorage (a) mapped academic-based engagement activities into its institutional context and mission and (b) explored academic and administrative leadership strategies to reflect its commitment to engagement. Higher education governing bodies, legislators, administrators, and faculty increasingly…