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"Some college administrators seem so distracted with fund raising, academic infighting, and community initiatives that they set up their emergency communications departments very poorly. Training is poor to nonexistent, secretaries are pressed into service with tremendous responsibilities for running 'notification systems' 24/7 and on weekends because no one else knows how to do it and the administration won’t pay for additional staff. Procedures are seat-of-the-pants and dependent on HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion), except when something like Virginia Tech happens and there is some sort of scramble to do something different." --Donna
Most Colleges Avoid Risk Management, Report Says
Jill Biden Shines a Global Spotlight on American Community Colleges
Speaking at a Unesco conference in Paris, the vice president’s wife stressed the importance of two-year institutions to the nation’s educational goals.
Connecticut Public Colleges Lose 200 Professors to Early Retirement
Administrators are scrambling to plug holes in their course schedules for fall, with most expecting to do so by hiring more adjuncts or increasing class sizes.
U. of Georgia Paid 2 Fraternities $2.4-Million to Relocate, Contracts Show
The two were among five with houses on property where the university plans to build new academic facilities.
New Allegations in Admissions Controversy at U. of Illinois Suggest Ex-Provost Played a Role
Linda P.B. Katehi, the incoming chancellor of the University of California at Davis, has insisted she knew nothing of the admission of politically connected applicants at Illinois.
Sonoma State U. Foundation May Lose $350,000 on Loan to Former Board Member
The foundation will be forced to issue fewer scholarships in the 2010-11 academic year because of a diminished endowment, a university official said.
College Suspends Student for Working in Gay Pornography | 58
President Obama's Visit to Notre Dame Carries Barely a Hint of Controversy That Preceded It | 58
Drug Sting Nabs 21 Students at U. of Illinois | 57
Faculty Members and Union Protest Staff Layoffs at Temple U. as 'Cruel' | 57
North Dakota Board's Vote Puts 'Fighting Sioux' Mascot on Thinner Ice | 57
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December 10, 2007
Report Calls on Research Universities to Break Out of Ivory Tower
A report released today lays out the promise and pitfalls to expanding and institutionalizing civic engagement within research universities.
The report, “New Times Demand New Scholarship II: Research Universities and Civic Engagement — Opportunities and Challenges,” calls on universities to become more community-minded by, among other strategies, offering incentives to faculty members who propose innovative courses on or research into civic engagement, appointing a senior academic leader to promote scholarship on pressing public problems, and establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial university-community partnerships.
Written by Timothy K. Stanton, a lecturer in public policy at Stanford University, the report is the result of discussions held by 23 universities convened by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges committed to advancing social responsibility and public service on their campuses. It also highlights existing models of community engagement. —Karin Fischer
Posted on Monday December 10, 2007 | Permalink |Comments
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I have been attempting to get the Land Grant University in our state to grasp the attempts of our underserved rural county to engage them in a partnership that would fulfill their outreach commitments and serve our area. While all those contacted seem open, progress is not yet tangible, and it seems as if the whole thing ultimately rests on whether the university can make money here—not whether they can sustainably serve our community. Any suggestions?
— Joe Erwin Dec 10, 02:22 PM #
One possibile attraction of outreach may be if it could be cast as an interesting research question for which grants may be sought and publications produced.
— Gavin Moodie Dec 10, 05:09 PM #
Right, Gavin, and this is one approach that I have suggested. Sadly, it got no traction at all. I’ve just about given up, and have started checking out prospects of administrative jobs elsewhere. I proposed all sorts of things that were no cost and no risk to the university. Ultimately, I negotiated away any incentive I had for doing this, so I guess the place can just stay underserved until someone comes along who can make the case better than I was able to do.
— Joe Erwin Dec 10, 05:29 PM #
My experience has been the opposite, throw in the towel on trying to link outreach to research, universities are in the business of basic research. Sometimes, however, the university hires someone who has real policy outreach interests and a condition of attracting/retaining that person is absorbing some expenses associated with outreach. Another approach I have seen work is linking outreach to experiential learning for students.
— Sam Dec 10, 07:25 PM #