(from The Chronicle of Higher Education) Will members of the broader community play a growing role in your school's decision-making process? A new report from the University of Virginia's Thriving Cities Lab aims to strengthen relationships between higher-education institutions and their surrounding neighborhoods by encouraging schools to create "true community partnerships" that go beyond lip service in having local citizens help lead and shape school-led projecs. An example is the University of Utah's Hartland Partnership Center, which is governed by a group of neighborhood leaders who help identify the area's strengths and needs. As a consequence, the center today offers English-language instruction, mental-health support, citizenship classes, employment workshops and after-school programs.
There's a long way to go at most institutions, the report found. "Repairing broken trust and building reciprocal, local relationships remains a challenge, particularly when universities wield significant social and economic pwoer relative to their community partners."
More at The Chronicle of Higher Education
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