Background: Upon returning to in-person teaching at Kingsborough Community College after the pandemic, I realized something profound had shifted in my students. The well-documented drop in community college enrollment attributed to the pandemic seemed to reflect deeper disjunctures that had led students to an existential questioning of the purpose…

Solving many current urban problems requires reinventing the American university so it becomes a humanistic, morally inspired, civic institution with an inclination and ability to help America become just and fair for all. The article discusses educational reform similar to Benjamin Franklin's original plan for the University of Pennsylvania. (SM)

Argues that universities are as well equipped as and more obligated than most other social institutions to listen to, understand, and respond to problems in American society. Suggests that the great universities of the 21st century will be judged by their ability to help solve the most urgent social problems. (SM)

Universities must become more involved in helping society address vital urban issues, and the faculty reward system should be restructured to encourage faculty involvement in urban service. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has made such a commitment, involving faculty in urban outreach, and university officers in clarifying institutional…

Discusses how universities can serve the American city within the context of traditional university values, thus promoting change in a context of extraordinary institutional continuity. The paper examines the value of university-owned and operated public schools, explaining their effectiveness in addressing acute urban problems. (SM)