Crucial strategies to bolster town-gown relations and run a thriving 21st-century institution
When construction began in 2005 for the Portland Aerial Tram, a gondola that connects the mountaintop campus of the Oregon Health & Science University with the city's South Waterfront district 500 feet below, public debate over the project was contentious. The cost had steadily ballooned, and residents believed the tram would kill birds, threaten their privacy, and erode property values. The college's most important strategy? Keep communication lines open and active at all times.
Today the tram, called “iconic” by the local media and utilized by more than ten million riders, signifies the positive relationship OHSU developed with its neighbors. Negotiations and discussions now tend to start as a collaboration, administrators say, rather than a standoff.
The Chronicle's in-depth report,The Campus as City, explores how colleges can build capacity in crucial activities and come up with better, more efficient ways to take care of their residents and neighbors. This in-depth resource examines the steps needed to build effective relationships with local-government, business, and civic leaders, place bold bets, and run savvy operations that expand local impact.
