Historically, America's land-grant universities offered non-elites access to higher education while developing and disseminating new, practical knowledge (particularly agricultural science). In the late twentieth century, the historic land-grant mission was eclipsed by other institutional concerns. Efforts now are under way around the country to revive that tradition within higher education and make it relevant to the social and economic needs of citizens and communities in the twenty-first century. At the University of Maryland at College Park, the Engaged University Initiative is working to help refocus the institution's commitments and resources (human, intellectual, financial) to build toward a civic engagement service that will be relevant to land-grant universities nationally.