Negotiating Institutional Performance and Change: Strategies for Engaged Universities

Abstract

This essay describes how University of Alaska Anchorage (a) mapped academic-based engagement activities into its institutional context and mission and (b) explored academic and administrative leadership strategies to reflect its commitment to engagement. Higher education governing bodies, legislators, administrators, and faculty increasingly request key performance indicators for documentation, decisionmaking, and accountability. This essay will explore indicators of engagement for negotiating institutional change toward a more civically-engaged university using mission clarification and leadership strategies.