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The Academy as Neighbor:

The Role of the University in Revitalizing the City
by Ruth Person

A significant number of AASCU institutions are located in cities both large and small. Undoubtedly, in the past decade many of these institutions have been called upon to play a part in revitalizing their “hometowns.” Given the current economic climate, the demand for greater involvement in this endeavor is likely to increase substantially as cities struggle to confront job losses, company closings and property abandonment. Having spent nine years as chancellor at Indiana University Kokomo (home to four Chrysler plants and a significant Delphi presence), and now nearly a year at the University of Michigan-Flint (once home to 80,000 GM employees and now home to less than 8,000), I am in a somewhat unique position to view town-gown revitalization issues.

There are many roles a campus can play in revitalization. First, any campus is, by definition, an economic engine for the area it calls home—as a purchaser of goods and services often with great buying power, as an attraction for visitors, and as a generator of student and employer purchasing as these groups shop, dine and consume local entertainment. Second, many campuses provide economic development expertise through faculty research and service, and offer opportunities to engage businesses with student projects and other means of helping to spark new ideas and generate improved business planning and development. Third, as public institutions, our campuses can (and do) serve as conveners—neutral places where debates over the topics that relate to revitalization can take place, often with assistance from faculty or staff who are experienced facilitators. While revitalization seems to be a topic on which everyone can agree in principle, there are often major issues buried beneath that topic that can spark controversy. For example, the “shrink the city’s footprint” discussion currently taking place in some locales (including Flint) is fraught with controversy (e.g., “it’s a great idea to be able to provide fire and police protection to a smaller footprint, but not if it means that my house gets demolished in the process”). A campus could play a major role in bringing all parties to the table for discussion around this or another issue without taking sides.

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