There has been much recent interest and debate in Australia around the topics of university engagement, knowledge transfer, and engaged scholarship. Diverse responses relating to teaching and learning, research, and community service are evident in many institutions. However, there is a paucity of empirical research describing institutional…

The "four spheres" model of transformation, as viewed through the lens of the urban mission of California State University, Fresno, is examined through current projects in economic development, infrastructure development, human development, and the fourth sphere, which encompasses the broad vision. Local projects will be highlighted.

Relatively little is known about the presumably thousands of branch campuses and centers represented among U.S. higher education institutions. In an effort to fill this void, the research committee of the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators (NABCA) conducted a web-based survey targeting the leaders of branch campuses and…

This essay will discuss the creation of adult-learner degree programs at Wichita State University's satellite campuses with a particular focus on how such programs complement the mission of a traditional urban-serving research institution. It will assess the decision-making process that led to the transformation of satellite campuses into…

The article is meant to assess the ways in which the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and its Great Cities Commitment can serve as a model of academic institutional change that anchors or is, otherwise, foundational to academic institutional achievement and urban development. Through both normative discussion and case study, the article…

Faculty are the bedrock of any university and they play a central role in all facets of academic life. However, despite impressive educational credentials, new faculty do not arrive with all the knowledge and experience necessary to advance in their new setting. This paper describes the use of a formal mentoring program as a powerful vehicle for…

Our urban-located land grant institution has long been committed to engaged research, teaching, and service. This paper describes efforts to articulate and implement a strategic urban land grant vision that places urban/metropolitan engagement at the center of our institution's "urban age" future. We describe intentional and broad-based efforts in…

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…

This paper describes the experience of one university in developing a Shared Vision and planning strategically for achieving it. At Indiana University Northwest, strategic planning is an ongoing process that is moving the campus toward its vision for the future and the long-term outcomes derived from it. Unlike traditional strategic outcomes that…

Education is a primary mission of metropolitan universities. This article measures the value of education at the level of a student credit hour-the metric. It applies this metric to determine the value of education transmitted at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) for one academic year and the total contribution of UNO to the economy of the…

This article examines the social meaning of security practices at urban university settings. The work first demonstrates the way in which physical fortification and surveillance technology have been implemented in urban institutional settings and considers the role these particular practices may play in shaping the socio-cultural identity of the…

The mission of American metropolitan universities has never before been so relevant, both to the future of institutions themselves and to the United States. The success of the mission requires that we develop a deep understanding of the impact of both urbanization and de-urbanization, as well as the challenges metropolitan universities face with…

This paper discusses the model of the "Western university" from the viewpoint of a non-Western person. The concept of an "Urban Public University" is then discussed and analyzed in terms of its role and relevance in today's context. The paper further argues that while universities are non-static, and while their changes and adaptations to new…

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…

Founded in 1995 and envisioned as a university that would prepare graduates to be active, engaged citizens, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) developed a distinctive approach to civic engagement. Guided by an ambitious Vision Statement, CSUMB actualizes its civic engagement goals through an academic plan that mandates service…