The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California are the higher-education institutions most engaged with their local communities, according to survey results presented today at a conference in Philadelphia.
The survey, called "Saviors of Our Cities: 2009 Survey of College and University Civic Partnerships," ranked 25 colleges and universities in terms of their contributions to the communities surrounding their campuses.
Penn was recognized for improving schools in West Philadelphia, while Southern Cal was cited for a program that helps provide funds for new businesses in Los Angeles. Other institutions on the list included the University of Pittsburgh, for helping revitalize Pittsburgh neighborhoods, and Tulane University, for providing medical care to the neediest residents of New Orleans.
Evan S. Dobelle, president of Westfield State College, in Massachusetts, wrote the survey questions and distributed it to colleges and universities across the country. Members of the Westfield staff then selected some institutions for campus visits and interviews. The results were presented at the annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.
Comments
1. geochaucer - October 12, 2009 at 03:30 pm
I'd be very interested in seeing the others on the list. Could you provide that information, Simmi, or point us to a link? Thanks!
2. blue_state_academic - October 12, 2009 at 03:36 pm
I'd be interested to know what methodology was used to create the "ranking." Or is this truthfully just a series of case studies from which someone selected some best cases?
3. cguenthr - October 12, 2009 at 03:37 pm
I second Commenter #1.
4. academicadvancement - October 12, 2009 at 03:42 pm
Geochaucer and cguenthr, click on the "survey" link (second paragraph, second word).
5. brackenda - October 12, 2009 at 03:44 pm
See this site for more detail: www.wsc.ma.edu/top25saviors
6. neniaf - October 13, 2009 at 06:36 am
I hope it wasn't just based on self-reports of "programs" that they offer, since town-gown relationships are far more complex than that. I've worked at an urban school which had such programs, then made public announcements that a new facility on campus would hire only students, and no one from the (very poor) neighborhood to work there, etc.
7. jothomas43 - October 13, 2009 at 04:15 pm
Syracuse University is deeply engaged in partnerships with a wide range of community and business groups, government agencies, arts groups and foundations at every level in the city of Syracuse, from the city schools to entrepreneurs, from the creation of an arts district to remaking the face of the near westside to attract new residents while keeping and updating homes for the current residents. This is not "service," but a series of reciprocal arrangements called Scholarship in Action. It involves faculty and students and staff in a wide range of academic fields across the entire university/ It's worth a look at the university's website
http://www.syr.edu/
8. jmjohn05 - October 15, 2009 at 02:01 pm
"Saviors of our city" Interesting title - seems to imply a patient/client relationship as opposed to one of reciprocity with members of the surrounding communities.