Diverse Communities: Diverse Involvements

Abstract

Metropolitan universities are characterized by extensive involvement with various constituencies and communities, including their contiguous neighborhood, the metropolitan business community, the minority communities, the local public schools, local governmental agencies, the professional communities, and area colleges and universities. The limits and costs of this involvement are discussed, and recommendations for planning are provided. Metropolitan universities, while primarily centers for teaching and research, also serve as cultural centers for the community, as employers and consumers, as providers of social services, and as catalysts for social and economic development. The ivory tower metaphor of detached scholarship simply does not characterize metropolitan universities.