Urban Agenda
The University has made a commitment to strengthen its understanding of metropolitan, urban, and suburban issues. As an urban, land-grant university we have a special, highly visible relationship with the communities near the Twin Cities campus and other urban areas, and are committed to enhancing our service to these communities.
An urban land grant institution’s teaching, research, and outreach missions must be aligned and strategically focused to meet the needs of our growing urban areas and those at the urban-rural interface. The National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities have developed preliminary recommendations for a national urban agenda. Their three most critical themes and goals are:
- Human Capital (strengthening the educational pipeline through cross-disciplinary partnerships within universities to collaborate with urban school leaders to ensure high school and college access and success);
- Strengthening Communities (stimulate social and economic revitalization in center-city neighborhoods); and
- Urban Health (cross-disciplinary research and translating new knowledge to innovative practices in urban health care).
As one of the few major research and land-grant universities located in a large urban area, the University of Minnesota’s geographic location, its historical engagement, and its comprehensive array of programs and faculty create an extraordinary opportunity to become a model of how universities can effectively partner with communities, city and county governments, and the business sector to resolve pressing contemporary issues. The challenge for the University is to think and act more strategically about how, as a large, urban land-grant university, we can best leverage our academic resources across all disciplines and campuses to resolve complex issues of the urban age. An Urban Agenda Task Force will submit recommendations in April that will provide a blueprint for the ongoing development of a comprehensive urban agenda.
Related Initiatives and Projects
Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC)
The University established the new Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) in North Minneapolis, patterned after the highly successful research and outreach centers throughout rural Minnesota. The UROC will anchor the University’s presence in the community, coordinate and facilitate new and existing University research, outreach and engagement activities related to North Minneapolis, and create multi-disciplinary teams and sustained partnerships. An Executive Director of UROC was hired in December 2007 and a former shopping center was purchased at 2001 Plymouth Street to house UROC. Renovations on this site will be completed in December, 2008.
The University’s vision for UROC is to create new and support successful existing partnerships between the community and the University to enhance the quality of life in North Minneapolis… [by]investing University resources to address real world issues like education, economic development, employment, poverty and health, while affirming and supporting community strengths and assets.
University Metropolitan Consortium
The University Metropolitan Consortium was established in 2006 to link the centers, programs, and faculty and staff at the University engaged in teaching, research, and outreach concerned with understanding metropolitan change and development. Engaging the Consortium with those outside the University in the public, private, and non-profit sectors will enhance the University’s ability to contribute to the analysis and discussion of important metropolitan issues.
University Northside Partnership
Three years ago, as part of launching its Urban Agenda, the University identified North Minneapolis as an urban neighborhood with which it could partner to enhance the area’s social and economic environment.
The University Northside Partnership (UNP) was created as a mechanism to convene the following partners: University representatives, community organizations and residents, and city and county government officials to see how they might leverage their resources to “build healthier families and stronger communities together” in North Minneapolis (www.unpmn.org). The UNP held numerous community meetings to receive input about how the University can best work with other organizations to serve people and address Northside problems and issues.
In response to the input received from community members, the University has created the first Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center.
- University Northside Partnership web site
- Internal Working Group Portal (MyU portal ID and authentication required)
Science Museum Partnership
The University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota have formed a formal partnership to advance science research and education and to increase science literacy in the state. Science literacy is a key to understanding public policy issues and to maintaining our state's competitive edge in economic and workforce development.