The experiences of a professor with a liberal arts background who began his teaching career at an open enrollment, working class, urban institution are described. Most of his students are commuters, hold down part-time or full-time jobs, and support families. (MLW)

The destinies of cities and their universities are seen as inextricably linked. The fate of society depends to a great extent upon the university's ability to fulfill its unique role to give new meaning to the quality of urban life in this country. (MLW)

The three basic strategic objectives any metropolitan university must address in order to build a solid base of alumni support are the characteristics of the current student population, demographics and mindset of the alumni base, and relationships with the surrounding community. Activities at Boise State University (Idaho) in each of these areas…

Stone Soup Partnership is a collaboration between California State University at Fresno and its surrounding community to address serious problems in a high-crime, impoverished apartment complex near the university. The program involves students in service learning for university credit, and has expanded from a single summer youth program to a…

A study of 479 doctoral students at an urban university examined the relationships between 4 educational strategies (divergent, assimilative, convergent, accommodative) of doctoral programs and subjects' perceptions of their gains in 4 domains of professional competence (thinking, decision making, valuing, and acting). Additional variables…

A "value" concept for faculty service work increases the attractiveness of service activities by establishing an incentive system that fosters real integration of service into the research, teaching, and service promotion and evaluation triad. The model allows administrators to structure service projects for mutual benefit to faculty,…

Investigates the nature of Black-White relations on the Stanford (California) University campus by interviewing 54 undergraduates (20 Whites, 24 Blacks, and 10 others) and analyzing questionnaire responses of half the senior class (n=862) in 1988-89. Although overt racism is considered rare, the existence of subtle racism with associated tensions…

Reports the experiences of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University (Oregon), formed seven years ago in an effort to connect higher education resources to critical issues facing communities in a six-county metropolitan area. Eight lessons learned concerning the institute's role, its operation, staffing, local…

Examines the challenges and opportunities faced by the University of Washington's Institute for Public Policy and Management, a university-based applied-research institute that has grown through intellectual entrepreneurship into an organization that shapes policy for the state of Washington and the Northwest. The institute and its specialized…

Research in two inner-city areas of Phoenix (Arizona) and its surrounding suburbs documents the importance of analyzing a metropolitan area's economy from the perspective of industry clusters before determining economic development policies and strategies for urban revitalization. In addition, the project reveals lessons about the role of…

Four participants discuss their roles in a high school-university collaborative initiative for democratic education. A teacher, professor, graduate student, and teacher/graduate student demonstrate how they created more equitable roles in the university and high school partnership through critical reflection and interaction. (MMU)

Introduces other articles in this issue devoted to distributed learning at metropolitan universities. Discusses issues that institutions should address if considering distributed learning: institutional goals and strategic plans, faculty development needs and capabilities, student support services, technical and personnel infrastructure, policies,…

The University of Toledo (Ohio) honors program, with a dedicated space for honors, a separate interdisciplinary curriculum, and the opportunity to do research, assists this open admissions institution to attract and retain academically talented students. A dramatic increase in honors enrollments in the last decade has provided both opportunities…

Describes how Bloomfield College, an "Implementing Urban Missions" grantee, used a capstone course incorporating oral history, creative writing, and technology to work with Newark, New Jersey to revitalize its cultural history and create a community transformation. (EV)

Describes how Holy Family College in Northeast Philadelphia, an "Implementing Urban Missions" grantee, created and maintained an urban nursing center. Discusses the challenges of translating one department's experience with a community partnership into the context of other academic departments. (EV)