JOIN US FOR A FREE WEBINAR:
What is the Public University’s Responsibility to its Host Communities?

When: Thursday, November 8 at 12:00 PM ET
RSVP: hello@collegetownassessment.com

Ohio State’s Dr. Stephen Gavazzi, and West Virginia University, President E. Gordon Gee have written a brand-new book on the 21st-century mission of America’s public and land-grant universities. Land Grant Universities for the Future, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, delves into the most pressing issues facing our nation’s public institutions of higher learning at this moment in history.

Of this book, one reviewer stated: “The reader is reminded of the power of public higher education when land-grant and public universities work to build meaningful partnerships with their communities.”

In this webinar, Dr. Gavazzi will talk about many of the findings in this book that concern the powerful and mutually beneficial relationships that can exist between campuses and communities, including:

• What do we know about ways that universities influence the well-being of communities?
• How does an emphasis on community engagement facilitate the development of more harmonious relationships with community partners across a wide spectrum of interest areas?
• Can the inability to document community impact become one of the main reasons universities struggle to articulate a clear and consistent message about the public good they generate?

This webinar is sponsored by College Town Assessment (http://www.collegetownassessment.com), a provider of resources dedicated to the improvement of campus-community relationships. Additional information about the webinar, including registration specifics, is available through Chris Cooke at hello@collegetownassessment.com

Many thanks to APLU News for hosting a Q&A on the new Johns Hopkins University Press book that West Virginia University president E. Gordon Gee and I wrote on land-grant  universities. It can be found here.

The new op-ed that I wrote for the Washington Examiner can be found here:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/public-universities-must-lead-the-way-on-free-speech-and-scientific-fact

Opening paragraph:

As our nation moves toward its next election cycle, we call on America’s public universities to make their campuses a “neutral ground” for our nation’s discourse, a place where ideas are exchanged freely and where evidence is examined critically. Universities simply cannot stand by as our nation abdicates the middle ground in politics. The center must be taken and held at all costs, welcoming all comers to participate in the dialogue.

North Carolina’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: North Carolina State University

https://www.ncsu.edu @NCState

Founded in 1887 by the North Carolina legislature as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1918, the school changed its name to the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering. In 1963, the school was renamed the North Carolina State of the University of North Carolina, then again changed two years later to the current North Carolina State University at Raleigh. While the “at Raleigh” part is usually omitted, it remains part of the school’s official name.

Chancellor: Randy Woodson became chancellor of North Carolina State University in 2010. Dr. Woodson has extensive land-grant credentials, including a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the land-grant institution University of Arkansas and master’s and doctoral degrees in plant physiology from the land-grant institution Cornell University. In addition, prior to his presidency Chancellor Woodson served as provost at the land-grant institution Purdue University.

North Carolina’s 1890 Land-Grant Institution: North Carolina A&T State University

https://www.ncat.edu @ncatsuaggies

Founded in 1891 by the North Carolina legislature as the Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race. In 1957 the school changed its name to the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina. In 1967, the college was designated a Regional University by the legislature and renamed the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University.

Chancellor: Harold Lee Martin became chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2009. He is the first alumnus of this school to serve as chancellor, having received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from A&T. His land-grant background also includes a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the land-grant institution Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. @WhoIsHLM

New York’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: Cornell University

https://www.cornell.edu @Cornell

Cornell University was founded in 1865 when the New York legislature authorized the school to become the state’s land-grant institution. Although the university is considered private, Cornell has colleges that are state funded and fulfill statutory requirements, including extension activities.

President: Martha E. Pollack became the president of Cornell University in 2017. Previously, she was the Provost at the University of Michigan.