The Evolution of Twenty-First Century Public Higher Education: The Urban University as Prototype

Abstract

This article focuses on multi-campus universities-ones that have multiple campuses but no independent central administrative system. The administrative structure of these multi-campus universities must be determined by the role and mission of the campuses both individually and collectively. Branch campuses tend to have hybrid missions in that they are asked to serve the overall university and local constituent communities at the same time. These multiple missions may conflict and thus require intentional organizational structures that permit both the overall university and the individual campuses to be successful.