The divide between university campuses and the communities in which they’re situated has been a perennial source of tension in higher education. We see this tension in long-standing “town/gown” rhetoric, in headlines highlighting the polarization of attitudes about the value of college, and in our own students who wonder how their education connects to the world in which they live. While certainly one response has been to politely ignore the gaps between campus and community and retrench into our traditional research interests and teaching practices, how might a university like UP respond more proactively? How can we begin to engage with the neighborhoods and city around us in ways that invigorate our work, our students, and our mission as an institution committed to the common good? What would it look like to become—in our university President’s words—a University of, for, and with Portland?
This year we explored that question through a wide variety of topics and perspectives by bringing together six research groups of students and faculty from multiple disciplines. Check out the projects below to learn more about the 23-24 cohort and what they did.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
