Public Engagement and Emerging Roles for Institutional Advancement
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Guest Editorial Public Engagement and Emerging Roles for Institutional Advancement International Journal of Educational Advancement (2007) 7, 75–78. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ijea.2150053
Guest editor’s notes:
I have a growing conviction that what is needed [for higher education] is not just more programs, but a larger purpose, a larger sense of mission, a larger clarity of direction in the nation’s life. (Ernest Boyer, Former President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1996) Ernest Boyer’s statement made over a decade ago reflected a national sentiment during the 1990s that US colleges and universities had drifted away from their civic responsibilities. No longer was higher education seen as the primary vehicle to address important national issues such as poverty, racism, and other social ills. On the contrary, higher education institutions were increasingly viewed as insular and ill equipped to address societal needs. This crisis of public perception inspired a group of higher education leaders to convene a series of national dialogues regarding the civic roles of colleges and universities. Forums such as the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant
Universities birthed a new philosophy and a new term—public engagement— to define a different kind of relationship between higher education and society. Public engagement soon came to be understood as an interactive process where institutions and external partners exchange perspectives, materials, and resources to bring about positive social change. The signature elements of engagement are reciprocity and mutual benefit, contrasted with traditional “one-way” models of outreach that often failed to take into account community needs. The national movement toward engagement between higher education and the communities they serve has gained momentum since Boyer’s statement in 1996. In 1999, the Wingspread Declaration on Civic Engagement united a group of college and university presidents to express civic engagement as a core mission within their institutions. National organizations such as Campus Compact have grown rapidly to promote civic engagement among a diverse set of institutions. In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching introduced
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT. VOL.7 NO.2 75–78 © 2007 PALGRAVE MACMILLAN LTD. ISSN 1744–6503 $30.00 www.palgrave-journals.com/ijea
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a new classification of “community engaged institutions” that define colleges and universities by their commitment to public engagement. Finally, national accrediting organizations such as the North Central Association are beginning to incorporate engagement into their criteria for accreditation. The national movement toward public engagement has profound implications for changes in institutional culture, structure, policy, and the overall philosophy of higher education in the United States. A growing body of literature addresses how institutions are seeking to transform reward systems, organizational structur
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