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Matching University Resources to Community Needs: Case Studies of University-Community Partnerships Author: Jennifer Altman Dissertation School: Rutgers University Pages: 195 Publication Date: May 2006 Availability: Access Number: 10803 Abstract: University-community partnerships afford a unique opportunity to provide resources to urban communities. Despite the growth and proliferation of such partnerships, most studies focus on project outcomes, and the complex issues surrounding the formation and structure of partnerships have received far less attention. This study adds to the literature through an investigation of the formation of university-community partnerships. It is guided by the following principal research questions: How are university-community partnerships initiated and formed? How are community needs, university resources, and partnership projects identified? And what contextual factors appear to influence these processes? Through case studies of four university-community partnerships, the study uses qualitative methods to gather data from in-person interviews, direct observation, and document analysis. The research reveals that potential partners depend on two key factors to guide them through partnership initiation and formation: previous relationships and access to existing data. Previous relationships with community members shape every part of the process, from the decision to enter into a partnership to the choice of a target area, and therefore influence what information is used to determine community needs and partnership activities. In addition, relationships within universities and colleges ultimately dictate the choice, knowledge, and availability of university resources, far outweighing the mere presence of those resources themselves. The conclusions of this study underscore the importance of previously existing data on communities. These data often impact the very decision to initiate a partnership as well as the selection of target community, type of partners, needs, and projects. Acquiring some level of understanding of a community and its dynamics can serve to avoid many future potential partnerships, due to the absence of available or accessible data. Recommendations made seek to improve the ways in which new relationships can be built between and among university and community members, as well as foster the collection and sharing of information on communities and university resources. |
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