Regents Education Program Annual Conference Dr. Debra L. Stuart Vice Chancellor for Administration Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

Making Place Matter Project with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)

AASCU Reviewed community engagement and regional stewardship literature Surveyed presidents Visited six institutions Developed conceptual scheme

Stewards of Place Stepping Forward As Stewards of Place, 2002 AASCU

“The publicly engaged institution is fully committed to direct, two-way interaction with communities and other external constituencies through the development, exchange, and application of knowledge, information, and expertise for mutual benefits.”

Place-related Interactive Mutually beneficial Integrated Public engagement is

Embracing public engagement as a core value yields benefits for Community and regional entities Students Faculty Institution

Themes include Addressing the future of the region, community and institution Using formal and informal communications with key indicators to track progress Planning and goal-setting Implementing with consistency

Characteristics of a fully engaged institution include  All partners as a regular part of normal work  Mission statements that identify the region served  Community involvement in setting priorities  Active participation in regional planning

AASCU’s Making Place Matter project  Presentation by AASCU staff  “Tools and Insights” workbook  Trends  Process  Case studies  Seminar for institutions funded by outside grants

Making Place Matter: Opportunities and Insights for Oklahoma Travis Reindl Director of State Policy Analysis/ Assistant to the President AASCU March 1, 2006

Contemporary Realities-- Oklahoma Demographic Age (doubling of 65+ population by 2030, working age/college age/HS grad growth weak) Migration (Net importer, but what is import quality?) Economic Competitiveness benchmarks (e.g. New Economy Index, R&D expenditures)—trails regional leaders, national average Industry trends (health care, retail, admin./support dominate 10-year outlook) Social Educational attainment (lags much of region, nation on bachelor’s degree attainment) Children, families in poverty (close to regional peers, above national average)

Colleges and Universities as Regional Stewards Service/ → Engagement → Stewardship Outreach redefinitioninstitutionalization Narrowly targeted/executed Outside the mainstream of university work One-way (institution as teacher) Limited public policy linkage More broadly targeted/executed Toward the mainstream of university work Two-way (institution learner as well as teacher) Limited public policy linkage Widely focused/executed (across regional priorities) In the mainstream of university work (all colleges/departments/ units participate,as well as students/staff/alumni) Two-way (sense of shared purpose) Significant public policy linkage

Universities in Knowledge Economy From To Ivory Tower 3 Pillars Teaching Research Service Innovation Learning Engagement Stewards of Place 3 Pillars

Regional Stewardship Regional stewardship is commitment to and work in support of the long-term economic and social success of a locale. It reflects the convergence of four “conversations”:  innovative economy  livable community  social inclusion  collaborative governance

Source: Alliance for Regional Stewardship Innovative Economy Preparing people and places to succeed Social Inclusion Ensuring that everyone participates and shares responsibility Collaborative Governance Finding creative ways to govern Livable Community Preserving and creating places to live and work Regional Stewardship Framework

Insights and Lessons Learned Insights Stewardship needs to be defined as a common thread, not an add-on. Stewardship requires a solid “front door.” Stewardship must reach beyond the faculty. Stewardship cannot be run entirely on soft money. Stewardship requires supportive public policy. Stewardship must be measurable. Lessons/Next Steps Establish context and define terms. Celebrate short-term wins. Develop networks beyond the core stakeholder group. Raise policymaker awareness. Continue development of a scholarship of engagement. Form peer/mentoring networks.

Boosting Stewardship Capacity STEP 1: Establish regional context STEP 2: Assess campus-system- state stewardship resources and capacity STEP 3: Develop goals and success measures STEP 4: Develop a stewardship roadmap