IV.6.3 Strategic initiatives to impact the institutionalization of community engagement at a public research university

Community partnerships have always been a part of higher education. Most, if not all, higher education administrators can point to numerous community-engaged projects and initiatives on their campuses. However, despite their long-standing presence in higher education, community engagement activities have held only marginal status within the academy. In many cases, higher education institutions do not have an intentional community engagement agenda; rather, the presence of community engagement is the result of specific projects championed by individual personnel or initiatives promoted by particular campus units.