Recommitting to Stewardship of Place
Stewardship in a new postsecondary context.
In 2002, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) defined what it means to be a regional comprehensive university (RCU) in its landmark report Stepping Forward as Stewards of Place: A Guide for Leading Public Engagement at State Colleges and Universities, which articulated an institutional purpose that is at once place-based and oriented toward serving multiple communities whose lives are enhanced by postsecondary education.
Twenty years later, the challenges facing RCUs have not drastically changed—resource disparities, enrollment fluctuations, balancing competing priorities while engaging place, and public skepticism over the value of higher education remain important issues. Nevertheless, some challenges have intensified and the broader economic, social, demographic, and political forces shaping institutions and their communities have evolved.
As a result, stewardship of place today must look different than it did in 2002. Recommitting to Stewardship of Place: Creating and Sustaining Thriving Communities for the Decades Ahead provides an updated framing for stewardship of place that acknowledges the new postsecondary landscape while demonstrating why recommitting to being a steward of place is more important now than ever.
Authors
The report is produced in collaboration with the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges.
Stewards of Place Presidential Task Force

Kelli R.
Brown
Chancellor
Western Carolina University (NC)

Alexander N.
Cartwright
University of Central Florida

Berenecea Johnson
Eanes
President
City University of New York, York College

Mildred
García
President
AASCU

Jonathan GS
Koppell
Montclair State University (NJ)

Mark A.
Nook
President
University of Northern Iowa

Kirk A.
Nooks
President
Gordon State College (GA)

Ora H.
Pescovitz
President
Oakland University (MI)

Cynthia
Teniente-Matson
President
San José State University (CA)

Ashish
Vaidya
Fellow
AASCU

Carlos
Vargas
President
Southeast Missouri State University
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