ABSTRACT
In 1932 Francis Brown outlined the basic principles of adult education to include having an “educated citizenry” (p. 469) where access to education is an important element of a strong democracy. Coupled with Brown’s basic principles, the land-grant university mission is closely aligned with the mission of many adult educators who seek to develop programs with greater access and in collaboration with other universities or communities. This tradition continues today through continuing education, eLearning, and various partnerships and collaborations. Yet, this mission requires visionary leaders who are able to effectively work within higher education institutions to build bridges and working collaborations. Weerts and Sandmann’s (2010) study on how research universities collaborate with community described four types of boundary spanners where each type is dependent on a faculty member or administrator providing leadership to build the collaboration. Their research is important because it highlights that even though institutional structures are important, it is individual agency that makes a collaborative work. These boundary spanners are tomorrow’s leaders who not only want to serve students and communities but also see these partnerships strengthen their home institution. Anderson, Moxley, Maes, and Reinert (2008) point out that the “typical university is not agile enough to downsize one academic area and build up a new strategic area tomorrow” (p. 103). They posit that there are opportunities for universities and colleges to work together to develop joint programs that allow small academic programs to collaborate and better serve students. They also concur that access to affordable educational opportunities is required to develop citizens who are capable of being competitive in a economy.
