An Anchored Look Forward

Abstract

In 1994, Henry Cisneros, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, created the Office of University Partnerships (OUP) to streamline resources and serve as a hub for universities to share best practices for addressing external needs of their communities. The creation of OUP was a direct result of what was occurring in urban cities across the country. As crime, poverty, and infrastructure deterioration increased in urban communities from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, anchor institutions, specifically institutions of higher learning, developed strategic partnerships to fulfill their core missions, beyond the campus proper. Today, these higher education anchor institutions are committed to improving the quality of life by working together on health and wellness, access to education, poverty in urban cities, reduced crime, affordable housing, and access to food and basic needs. Additionally, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are aligning efforts with elected officials to strengthen, or in some cases implement, sustainable infrastructure and economic development projects. The author provides a cursory look at how HBCUs and their leadership can aid in resolving community-wide issues as anchor institutions.

Citation

Crosby, G.B. (2021), "An Anchored Look Forward", Crosby, G.B., White, K.A., Chanay, M.A. and Hilton, A.A. (Ed.) Reimagining Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Great Debates in Higher Education), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-664-020211001