Bridging the Gap: Centers and Institutes

Abstract

Centers and institutes, or organized research units, can play a significant role in metropolitan universities by providing bridges to the community. The article Includes discussions of the limitations of traditional university organizational structures and of the potential advantages centers and institutes offer. It addresses the administrative complexity and shortcomings of centers and suggests mechanisms for dealing with them. Arguments are also made regarding the locus of control over centers and the implications of centers for the university at large.