Urban and Metropolitan Universities: Leaders of the 21st Century

Abstract

Urban universities can distinguish themselves by addressing todays critical urban issues through new ways of combining teaching, research, and service, and by working in partnership with others on comprehensive and integrated approaches. The University of Illinois at Chicago is pursuing this by means of the Great Cities concept: an institutional commitment to meeting the needs of the metropolitan area. Key factors in establishing such a mission and partnership process in a complex urban environment are leadership, broad-based participation, and realism.