Declaration of
Metropolitan Universities
A number of presidents of
metropolitan universities have signed the following declaration .
. .
We, the leaders of metropolitan
universities and colleges, embrac ing the historical values and
principles which define all universi ties and colleges, and which
make our institutions major intellec tual resources for their
metropolitan regions,
- reaffirm that the creation,
interpretation, dissemination, and appli cation of
knowledge are the fundamental functions of our universi
ties;
- assert and accept a
broadened responsibility to bring these func tions to
bear on the needs of our metropolitan regions;
- commit our institutions to
be responsive to the needs of our metro politan areas by
seeking new ways of using our human and physi cal
resources to provide leadership in addressing
metropolitan problems, through teaching, research, and
professional service.
Our teaching must:
- educate individuals to be
informed and effective citizens, as well as capable
practitioners of professions and occupations;
- be adapted to the particular
needs of metropolitan students, includ ing minorities and
other underserved groups, adults of all ages, and the
place-bound;
- combine research-based
knowledge with practical application and experience,
using the best current technology and pedagogical
techniques.
Our research must:
- seek and exploit
opportunities for linking basic investigation with
practical application, and for creating synergistic
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scholarly
partnerships for attacking complex metropolitan problems,
while meeting the highest scholarly stan dards of the
academic community.
Our professional service
must include:
- development of creative
partnerships with public and private enterprises that
ensure that the intellectual resources of our institu
tions are fully engaged with such enterprises in mutually
beneficial ways;
- close working relationships
with the elementary and secondary schools of our
metropolitan regions, aimed at maximizing the
effectiveness of the entire metropolitan education
system, from preschool through post-doctoral levels;
- the fullest possible
contributions to the cultural life and general quality of
life of our metropolitan regions.
