Realizing the Full Potential of Northeastern’s Urban Vision Barry Bluestone

1. Realizing the Full Potential of Northeastern’s Urban Vision Barry Bluestone Dean, School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy Director, Center for Urban & Regional Policy Steve Zoloth Dean, Bouve College of Health Sciences Senior and Academic Leadership Retreat Warren Conference Center August 27, 2007

2. From the University’s Strategic Vision • We start with the premise that we must be committed locally and engaged globally. • We envision a Northeastern University that “addresses the challenges humanity faces by opening pathways to discovery, translating ideas into useful innovations and extending human understanding.” • This requires a multi-dimensional approach. We must focus locally on our own urban environment, create a global university, and develop expertise in some of the intersections between our urban mission and our increasingly global nature.

3. What Drives our Urban Mission? • A Passion for Engagement • A Passion for Solutions • A Passion for Impact • A Passion for Progress • A Passion for Results

4. Northeastern’s Urban Advantage • Northeastern is already a leader in engaging its urban community. We have responded to changing societal needs by forging academic and community service partnerships designed to improve the quality of urban life and provide learning opportunities for our students. With our work on economic development, affordable housing, public education, and urban health care, we have demonstrated our influence as one of the nation's premier urban universities.

5. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (University-wide Efforts) • Urban Outreach Council: University-wide Council coordinating university efforts in the neighborhoods surrounding Northeastern, in the City, and the State. • President’s Commonwealth Council: Council established to advise the Mayor of Boston and the Governor of the Commonwealth on an array of public policy issues.

6. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Housing) • Greater Boston Housing Report Card: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy issues an annual report card on the state of housing in Greater Boston that is used to monitor progress in meeting the housing needs of Massachusetts residents. • Housing Studio: Juniors in the B.S. Architecture degree program spend one semester designing urban housing solutions for area communities. Recent examples include Union Square, Somerville; Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain; Geneva avenue, Roxbury, etc. • World Class Housing Collaborative: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy provides direct assistance to Boston-area neighborhood associations and community-development corporations to assist in production of affordable housing. • Chapter 40R/40S Legislation: CURP staff led the development effort for the new Chapter 40R and Chapter 40S housing laws in the Commonwealth.

7. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Workforce & Community Development) • Older Industrial Cities Development Project: The Center for Urban and Regional Policy analyzes barriers to business investment in older industrial cities; develops computerized self-assessment tools; creates "best practice" Web site templates, and develops training workshops for cities and towns. • Manufacturing Survey: Survey of over 700 manufacturers throughout the Commonwealth to learn what the state can do to sustain this sector that employs over 300,000 Massachusetts workers. • Immigration Studies: The demographic and labor market impacts of foreign immigration in Massachusetts, New England, and the U.S. • Labor Market Shortages: The shortage of workers in scientific, engineering and information technology fields in New England • School-to-Work Transitions: The school to work and school to college transition experiences of Boston public school graduates • Poverty and Low Income Households: The poor and low income population in New England, Massachusetts, and the city of Boston

8. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Health & Community Welfare) • Caregiver Program: Northeastern's School of Nursing joins with community groups to offer this annual program, which connects caregivers with information and resources to help them care for their loved ones. • Community Health Outreach: NU School of Pharmacy students join with Harbor Health Services, Inc. to offer monthly outreach programs at Walgreen's Pharmacy in Dorchester. Topics include influenza, diabetes, and the common cold versus the flu. • Community Service Learning (fitness): Northeastern’s Physical Therapy Department conducts programs for children and senior citizens with the goal of improving health through exercise and education. Programs include Fit Kids and Elder Exercise. • Institute on Urban Health Research: Conducts extensive research on racial and class disparities in health outcomes and health care access • Reducing Youth Gang Violence: Research on statewide gang violence and policing efforts.

9. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Law & Education) • Law, Culture, and Difference Program: Community lawyering projects on behalf of organizations and government entities aiding low-income clients undertaken by first year NU law students • National Lawyers Guild Street Law Clinics: Clinics cover tenant/landlord issues and are run by students in the School of Law, under the supervision of an attorney, at community centers, health centers, and other community venues. • Poverty Law and Practice: School of Law's students represent individuals and groups by providing legal services (litigation, legislation, lobbying, nonprofit counseling, etc.) on welfare and related economic issues. • Boston Partners in Education: NU faculty members are among the participants in this program, which trains and provides tutors to Boston Public Schools. • Boston Science Partnership: The partnership links the Boston Public School System with Northeastern University and other institutions to significantly enhance student achievement and teacher quality in science for grades 6–12. • Envision Leadership: Summer leadership program helps Boston-area high school students develop leadership skills, and prepare for college and careers.

10. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Engineering & Science) • ITEST: TechBoston and Northeastern University are working collaboratively to integrate an innovative robotics curriculum into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in the Boston Public Schools and in other racially diverse and economically disadvantaged Massachusetts school districts. • Marine Science Center K–12 Outreach Program: The Marine Science Center Outreach Program in Nahant, Massachusetts, is committed to helping teachers and their K–12 students acquire a better understanding of and appreciation for the marine environment off the shores of eastern Massachusetts. • NUPRIME (NU Program In Multicultural Engineering): Cultivates diversity and academic excellence in engineering among historically underrepresented students, K–12. • STEM: Helping to shape science, technology, and engineering, and math education for K-12 students and college undergrads.

11. Existing Urban Outreach Efforts at Northeastern (Sports/Athletics) • Husky Athletics Club Corporate Sponsor Community Ticket Program: Tickets for NU athletic events are given away to community groups. Available tickets are for home events and have been donated back to the athletic department by corporate sponsors specifically for community use. • Husky Baseball Clinic: NU baseball coaches and athletes offer baseball instruction to local boys and girls. • Husky Swimming/Diving Clinics: Coaches and athletes (women's swimming and diving) offer instruction to youths. • Husky YMCA Field Hockey Clinic: The clinic introduces intercity youth to the sport of field hockey. • Massachusetts Student-Athlete Citizenship Awards Ceremony: The Center for the Study of Sport in Society and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association host two awards ceremonies (one in Boston, the other in Springfield) honoring high school athletes who are nominated by their respective schools for achievement in athletics, academics, and community service. • Squash Busters:Squash Programs for community residents.

12. Urban Mission Goal: To serve as a key civic leader to better meet the Urban and Regional Challenges facing Boston and the Commonwealth in the 21st Century • Undertake interdisciplinary research to address the question of local and regional economic developmentmore equitably shared • Generate new policy prescriptions to enhance the competitiveness of communities and the Commonwealth in the new global economy • Develop new policy prescriptions to enhance the well-being of those who are being “left behind” – in housing, employment, safe neighborhoods, health care, and education • Work within the neighborhoods, the City, and the state to help implement new programs and policies that enhance economic development more equitably distributed

13. A Model for Education & Research

14. Model of Applied Policy Research in Practice (Annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card) (Housing Challenge) (CHTF) (Chapter 40R/40S)

15. New Opportunities for Academic and Applied Research/Community Engagement • Paying our Public Bills: State & local short-term and long-term revenue policies (taxes and revenue sharing) • Changing demographics of Greater Boston and the Commonwealth (age, race, nativity) • Education and childhood development inside and outside the schools/New models of workforce development • Smart Growth and “Emerald Cities” – Urban transportation, housing, energy conservation, environmental protection • The Role and Needs of Immigrants in Greater Boston and the Commonwealth • Access and Cost of Health Care in the Commonwealth

16. A New University-wide Urban Research and Policy Consortium • Creation of a consortium across colleges and schools which brings together faculty, staff, and students who are engaged in urban research and action • Coordinate urban research and grant solicitation • Provide opportunities for undergrads and graduate students • Link with Urban Outreach Council and Stonybrook Initiative • Strategic link between new School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy with Bouve, Journalism, Architecture, Criminal Justice, School of Law, Computer Science, and Engineering

17. Possible New Urban-based Research Centers • Center for State and Local Public Finance • Center for the Study of Urban Education and Childhood Development • World Class Cities Core Center (WC4) • Center on the Urban Elderly (CUE) • Center for Ethics, Values, and Public Policy in State & Local Government

18. Possible New Graduate and Undergraduate Education Programs • Masters in Urban and Regional Policy • Masters in Urban Public Health • Research/Quantitative Methods Center • Greater Boston Survey Research Center • Massachusetts GIS/Graphics Laboratory • Expansion of Service Learning Opportunities for Northeastern students • Expansion of coop program in state and local government agencies and non-profits

19. Additional Programs to Serve the Community • Municipal Leadership Academy • New Bostonians Summit • Community Fellows Program

20. The Urban Dimension Building the Urban Global University of the 21st century • Our Goals: • Build a broad-based, high-profile strategy to establish a significant and distinctive Northeastern • presence in the Boston community and in the world. • Build a foundation of urban and global experience for all NU students, faculty and staff • Build a Northeastern University that makes a difference in the community and in the world.