ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors argue, in line with Arnstein, that more than a notion of "citizen participation", what is needed is a fundamental shift in understanding the value and potentially transformative impact of seeking, respecting, and acting on diverse community-based resident perspectives. They begin with a review of the literature on universities and civic engagement. The authors aim to share our story in a way that captures the complexity of our roles and relationships and the lessons learned through the development of a new collaborative approach. They argue that a rooted university has the potential to respond to, and co-develop solutions for, the needs of local communities as well as to the systemic inequities that give rise to deep disparities. Reliant on bi-directional learning designed to achieve deep levels of transformative engagement, collaboration, and citizen power, this bridge has the potential to foster the rooted university transition.
