Community-University Engagement: A Process for Building Democratic Communities

As the emphasis on economic development through community-university engagement intensifies, educators and policy makers must learn to think differently about the engagement process. This is particularly true when a narrowly defined group of leaders sets the engagement agenda, and those who are traditionally underrepresented continue to be marginalized in the conversations about their own futures. Emphasizing the importance of community as a context for engagement and building strong relationships over time, Moore calls on institutional leaders to intentionally facilitate broad participation by all members of a community in discussions about how and in what direction the community will develop. This is the second issue of the 40th volume of the Josse-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing criical reviews of each manuscript before publication.