Urban universities are uniquely positioned to make powerful and lasting contributions to the grand challenge of food security. To better understand the various dimensions related to the university's role in food systems, this case study explores intentional linkages, significant developments, natural tensions, and emerging impacts at the Ohio…

Using a phenomenographic design, this research reports on a study of a cohort (N = 22) of graduate students' conceptualizations of difference as they progressed through the only required diversity course in a science education program at a large, urban university in the American northeast. Data collection included biweekly course reflections, a…

Following qualitative research methodology and contextualized in an Urban College and its partnership elementary school in urban neighborhoods, this research project explores the process of development of effective teachers and the impact of socio-mathematical authority and belief on teaching practices of minority pre-service teachers. Aiming to…

The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) is a public metropolitan university that has developed a highly collaborative relationship with the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HC). This partnership unites several UCO divisions and the HC in support of a set of shared goals, articulated in UCO's "Vision 2020" strategic…

Two volunteer BEd student teachers in their fourth year of a BEd degree at a metropolitan university in the Western Cape of South Africa designed and taught lessons to two classes of the same age and ability in grade 7 (ages 12-13), using drama role-plays (intervention) and more conventional non-drama methods (control). Lessons were observed and…

This qualitative study investigated in-service teachers' perceptions of a cohort- mentoring program leading to certification in English as a Second Language (ESL). Interview data from 19 members of a single cohort at a large, urban university showed that participants valued both the support and augmented skills-development that they felt the…

This paper explores a pedagogical approach, autoethnography as praxis; a method to support white pre-service teachers in their process toward becoming accomplices for racial justice. In this qualitative study, students wrote three drafts of their autoethnography throughout a semester as part of a course assignment. They analyzed their lived…

The population of students labeled as English learners (ELs), referred to here as emergent bilingual learners (EBLs), continues to grow in schools across the United States. In this article, we share one urban university's collaborative approach to building professional capacity for cultural and linguistic diversity, considering both vertical and…

The purpose of this project was to examine the results of 8 key assessments that elementary and secondary teacher education candidates completed during their teacher education program. The participants for this project were 72 elementary and 49 secondary pre-service teaching candidates at a mid-sized urban university in the Midwest who were in the…

The higher education context that our CUMU institutions must navigate is complex and begets challenges resulting from the distinct mission our institutions seek to uphold. The implications of these challenges give rise to impacts on everyone within the institution and consequently our constituents within the cities we seek to serve. Bringing…

The United Nations estimates that by 2050, more than 66% of the world's population will live in urban areas. In the face of continuing urbanization, how will communities meet the fundamental need for good food? What kinds of public policies, structures, and systems will ensure equitable and just access to food? We argue that urban universities…

It is common for universities that seek community partnerships to employ full-time staff, formally sanctioned as boundary spanners, to develop and manage such partnerships. These staff are frequently administrative or allied staff rather than tenure-track faculty or academic unit administrators. Given the multiple interests of universities and…

The rich potential of university/city government relationships is often overwhelmed by day-to-day conflicts over everything from planning and land use to transportation and noise. Such disputes--even a single, unresolved incident--can create an enduring narrative of antagonism that undermines the relationship ongoing. Leveraging recent doctoral…

University campuses provide an accessible, cheap and useful means of teaching ecology to undergraduate students. We describe a short campus-based activity that was trialed in the 2015- 16 academic year to engage first year physical geography students with both ecology and urban ecology. Students undertook a 40-minute investigation of the campus to…

This study examined how urban communities might grow social capital from the passion and support offered by a college athletics program. Given the increasing emphasis on fiscal responsibility from local governments and public universities, recognizing how college athletics programs influence local community social capital, such as anchor…