Civic Engagement and the Emergence of a Metropolitan Identity: The Politics of Mobilizing An Institution to Meet Metropolitan Needs

Abstract

This paper describes Widener University's strategic transformation into a metropolitan university from the perspective of two academic administrators who were members of the university's Strategic Planning Committee. As part of its new strategic plan, Widener adopted a mission that emphasizes creating a learning environment featuring civic engagement. The authors explore how this call for an agenda of engagement met with resistance on campus and describe the efforts that have been mounted to overcome that opposition.