Portland State Magazine Winter 1991

• • Gi ve that model an urban setting, and you have an urban grant university. While the economic focus of land grant universities is the management of natural resources, the foc us for the urban grant uni versity is the development of human capacity. While land grants teach agriculture, forestry and mechanical arts, urban grants teach arts and sciences, soc ial science, professional programs, and advanced technol ogy. And while a land grant institution such as Oregon State Uni versity prov ides services to people throughout the state, the primary focus of an urban grant university such as Portland State would be the social , cultural, economic, and environmental needs of the people of Greater Portland. To accompli sh this mission, the report call s for Portl and State to work with public and private institutions, community colleges, the elementary school system, community education organizations, local governments, and community and business leaders in developing regional academic programs and projects. It should also create, house and admini ster a Center for Community Service, bringing together the various academic resources in the area to address pressing community needs. The commi ss ion also suggests PSU work with Oregon Health Sciences Uni versity in jointl y developing programs-utili zing the strengths of both institutions-that address urban environmental and health issues. They might incl ude subjects such as health policy, tox ic waste, community nursing and soc ial work , aging and gerontology, and urban environmental management. · The Other Players Making the commi ss ion ' s report work will require the interaction of all education fac ilities in the reg ion, right down to the kindergarten level. One of the most important partners will be the area's four community colleges, which serve approximately 149,000 students annually and produce associate degrees higher than the national average. In fact, the commission called the community colleges "an exceptional resource for Greater Portland and poss ibly the only part of postsecondary education that now comes close to meeting the needs of the region." Improvement s need to be made, however, including improvements in their role of increasing literacy and basic sk ills education, promoting a trained workforce, and integrating their programs and fac ilities with those of other in stituti ons in the area. The presidents of PSU, OHSU, Reed, Lewis and Clark, University of Portland , Pacific Uni versity, Oregon Grad uate Institute and PCC have formed a Council of Presidents which, the commi ssion states, "has made extraordinary progress in defi ning a reg ional agenda involving joint efforts among public and pri vate institutions." As the local institutions should work together to meet the reg ion's educational needs, so shoul d they work together to fun d them. The commi ssion report call s for the creati on of a regional fundin g and advocacy organi zati on called the Greater Portl and Trust in Higher Education to help deve lop the pl an and to find sources of funding-from corporations, governments, and foundations, to state and federal agencies, and pri vate sources-for joint programs. Chairman Don Frisbee called the Trus't "the glue that holds this plan together." , Frisbee, speak ing at the City Club on Nov. 30, said the commission " intentionall y avoided a heavy reli ance on state funds even though our crystal ball could not have foreseen the passage of Measure 5." He said that the more the new system proves itself, the more it wi ll be able to draw money from a variety of sources. There's no doubt that the commiss ion' s pl an will cost money. How much money in the long run for all the elements it call s for is anyone's guess. The Oregonian reported Gov. Neil Goldschmidt as say ing it would cost $ 10 million to $ 15 million to "get all of thi s off the ground ," and that "There isn' t going to be a reason good enough not to fund the program." What could be a more exciting prospect for Portland 's educational future? D (John R. Kirkland, a Portland free- lance writer and photographer, is a frequen t contributor to PSU Magazine.) Recommendations to the State Board The Commiss ion is recommending that the Oregon State Board of Higher Educa– tion implement the fo llowing measures in order to advance the Commission 's plan: 1) Redefine the mi ssion of Portland State University as an urban grant un iversity. 2) Empower and delegate the pres ident of Portland State Uni versity to carry out that mission. 3) Support the rapid development of a coalition of community colleges, colleges and uni versit ies in Greater Portland through the Council of Pres idents. 4) Support Portland State University and Oregon Health Sciences University in working cooperati vely with the University of Oregon and Oregon State University to address the graduate and professional education needs of Greater Portland. 5) Support the creation of an advocacy and funding organization to develop broad community support for the Commiss ion 's plan. 6) Support state funding for state institutions serving the region and for Portland State University to implement its " urban grant" mission. 7) Encourage and promote development of joint projects and programs between 1 Oregon Health Sciences University and Portland State University in specific fields. 8) Support state funding to leverage new sources of fund s for joint academic programs and projects in Greater Portland. 9) Support the efforts of the two-and four-year institutions to enhance transfer opportunities. 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