Washington Monthly says colleges should be judged partly on community impact; will host online discussion Oct. 12

Colleges are often measured by their graduates' success, their tuition prices and the prestige of their brands. But they should also be judged "by their contribution to the economic and civic life of their communities," writes James Fallows in a feature for The Washington Monthly's College Guide and Rankings. In that story Fallows shows how universities like Muncie, Ind.'s Ball State University — which four years ago began running the K-12 school system in the town — are reshaping not just campus, but the surrounding community.

Ball State University President Geoffrey Mearns (front right) marches
in a graduation procession. (Photo by Anthony Romano, Ball State) 

Many college towns large and small have been bolstered by higher education's ability to draw and retain highly skilled workers to a community, Fallows writes. As they gain financial resources and influence, their leaders have more ability to empower town-gown relationships.

"What a seaport was to growing communities in the 1600s, what waterfalls for producing power were in the 1700s, what railroad connections were in the 1800s, and on through the years, ambitious colleges can be to communities of our era," Fallows writes.

Community impact is a fundamental part of the mission of land-grant universities, which long ago expanded that reach beyond the starting point of helping agriculture. Land-grant schools such as Indiana's Purdue University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Minnesota and Colorado State University are trying to expand their engagement with communities in their states.  

The Washington Monthly will host an online discussion about higher education Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET. Among the speakers will be Fallows and his wife and fellow journalist, Deborah Fallows — who had a feature in the magazine on how Ball State's student newspaper, The Ball State Daily News, has filled a local news gap in Muncie by covering the university's management of the local schools. Those interested in the discussion can sign up here.