Our Question:

In a nutshell, how do we encourage the mutually beneficial and engaging relationship between the community and institutions of higher education?

Our Role:

The National Forum’s community engagement team focuses their research and practice on some of the points where communities and higher education institutions intersect.  Investigators scrutinize institutional structures, facilitators, and barriers to mutually beneficial community engagement in higher education.  Researchers explore community perceptions as individuals dialogue about the importance of higher education, as well as investigate how higher education institutions and communities come together to create access structures for youth in neighborhoods.

The community engagement team has the opportunity to explore the complicated convergence of theory and practice on the ground, in communities where research findings can immediately inform practice.

Because we are a part of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (CSHPE) at UM, we take seriously our responsibility for reaching beyond the walls of our classrooms and supporting and partnering with the communities around UM.  This is often where students who are concentrating in Academic Affairs and Student Development (AASD) find themselves making a real connection between their coursework and their Forum research.

Our Method:

• To stimulate awareness of the issue, the Forum has joined various partners in hosting convenings around the country.

• To better understand the issue, the Forum is engaged in empirical research.

• To inspire action on the issue by leaders and practitioners in higher education, the Forum is developing a media/information clearinghouse known currently as the uLEAD Network.