PSU Magazine Spring 1990

Langenberg said research dollars at Uni versity of Illinois at Chicago for current AIDS-related projects alone total $ 17 million in funding from federal , state , local , industri al and private foundation sources. Yet Langenberg sa id the perception still ex ists that if an urban uni versity is to perform research at all , it should be focused on translating the results of fundamental research perfonned in " real" universities into practical solutions to the city 's problems. These and other perceptions of "tradi– tional" higher education have in many ways shoved urban uni versities aside as a neglected stepchild of the higher ed ucation system. It may be because urban uni ver– sities, as they exist today, are a relatively new phenomenon, and are changing so fast - along with their urban homes - that perceptions need time to catch up . Delaney of George Mason University looks back at the Morri II Act of 1862 which provided federal subsidies to buy land throughout the country for the establi shment of universities. The so-called " land grant" uni vers ities were designed to address the needs of America's vast agricultural economy, and came to include some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. Seeing as how the United States in the 1990s is urban rather than rural, Delaney and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities say similar subsidies should be set aside for urban institutions. In fact, the Higher Education Act of 1986 includes an "Urban Grant University Act•· that defines urban universities, and is remini scent of the Morrill Act. "One of the things that's still missing," said Langenberg, " is the grant part, ie ., dollars . The (urban university) act has repeatedly appeared in authorizations, but it has never been funded ." One of the ways successfu l urban universities are dealing with the money problem is through public/private partner– ships. California State University- Northridge , an institution of 30,000 students in the San Fernando Valley, is developi ng a $250 million "University Park" campus w ith no financial support from the state. Portions of the JOO- acre site will be used fo r student , faculty and employee housing and for commercial development that meshes with the educational and cultural goals of the university. The rents and profits from the fac ilities will create a pool of money from which the univers ity can borrow to build other faci lities, and to subsidize uni versity functions at those facilities . The university will initially lease the land for the development, but will gain ownership of the land and the commercial buildings at the end of the lease term . In addition to housing, the University Park will include a stadium , art gallery, theatrical recital hall , media and training conference center, aerospace and technology center, child care facility, botanical gardens and "green belt," and a recreational center. The university's plans were presented by a four-person panel at the Annual Meeting of the Society for College and University Pl anning in July 1989, and were explained as ways in which the university could develop at a faster pace than would be possible through the usual state budgetary process, or as they sa id , "to cut through the Gordian knot of state funding." The panelists also pointed out that thi s kind of joint venture "is most feasible in metropolitan areas, where the opportunities for multiple use are greatest. " Delaney sees it as the onl y practical way to handle the rapid growth that many of these urban uni versities need. At Portland State University, many have pointed to private partnerships as a key to survival , particularl y in light of comments made by Oregon Chancellor of Higher Education Thomas Bartlett that " the.state can afford only two major research universities, rather than the four it now has. " The trickfor urban universities in the future will be to deliver education to a student constituency that is bulging beyond the traditional limits of the city. N ot only do those who are watching the emergence of the new breed of urban universities see pri vate dollars as an exped ient to growth , but as a necess ity in fulfi ll ing an essenti al mission: to be an active pl ayer with and a responsive resource to the busi nesses that make their city 's economy run. Businesses, particularl y high tech , information-based industries, locate in areas where their people can keep up wi th research, and urban uni versities - in a kind of symbiotic relationship - provide the fac ilities that makes that happen. But the urban uni versities are fi nding that it 's not enough just to locate in the city. Urban universities, by definition , are creatures of their environment, and the urban environment is changing constantly. "Beltways are becoming the new main street, " sa id Delaney, who prefers the term "metropolitan university" to urban univer– sity as the institution of the future. Beyond city boundaries are suburbs, each with urban centers of their own. And the suburbs are spawning suburbs in a phenome– non Delaney calls "hypergrowth ." In many cases, this growth is happening faster than the area's ability to keep up in terms of roads , transportation faci lities, public services and education . The trick for uban universities in the future will be to deliver education to a student constituency that is bulging beyond the traditional limits of the city. Delaney looks at the ususal ways in which this has been tried . The one that has been around the longest, is the "branch campus ." The problem is , branch campuses tend to become poor PSU 5