Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Coalition of Urban Universities

By Jennifer Keup, Ph.D.

Jennifer Keup is Executive Director for the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and Vice President of Urban Initiatives at APLU.

The Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), which is in permanent partnership with APLU, celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year. University presidents and chancellors created USU in 2005 to leverage the intellectual capital and economic power of urban universities, improving urban life and America’s competitiveness in the global economy.

Earlier this year, presidents at USU institutions reflected on the power of urban-serving universities to transform their communities and USU’s work to help member institutions multiply the positive impact of their work. These sentiments were captured in a video; hear from member presidents and chancellors about the impact USU has had on their campuses and the future they hope to create together.

Over the past two decades, USU has grown in membership and impact to include a network of 40 public urban research universities that represent every region of the United States. USU member institutions collectively enroll 1.2 million students, award nearly 275,000 degrees, and undertake $8.1 billion in research and development.

The Coalition supports member institutions as critical partners in their urban ecosystems –  educating students, advancing research, and solving challenges unique to the communities they serve. USU also uplifts the economic impact of urban-serving universities as employers, innovation centers, workforce development centers, R&D hubs, and engines of social mobility. The active and vital role of USU campuses in their urban and metropolitan areas, commitment to increasing prosperity and opportunity in the nation’s cities, dedication to tackling key urban challenges, and leadership across higher education in student success and workforce development are hallmarks of USU members. This connection and focus on the academic, social, economic, and civic needs of their communities differentiates institutions that are truly urban-serving from those that are merely urban located. Urban serving universities aren’t just in a city; they are of the city.

In addition to celebrating two decades of advocacy and impact as a Coalition, USU is celebrating 15 years of connection with APLU. In 2010, USU and APLU entered into a permanent partnership in which USU not only serves its members but operates as the Office of Urban Initiatives for APLU, allowing the organization to expand the land-grant mission to institutions in cities and major metropolitan areas. This collaboration combined resources and capitalized upon the respective strengths of each organization to expand the scope and scale of their individual and collective impact for the sector of urban-serving research universities.

Urban-serving universities help shape the future of local economies, public health, education, housing, and more. As cities grow in diversity, complexity, and influence, so too does the power and potential of the universities that serve them. As we look ahead to the next two decades of opportunities and challenges, urban-serving universities will be vital drivers of progress in their communities and the lives of those they serve.