Making the Work of Anchor Institutions Stick: Building Coalitions and Collective Expertise

Abstract

As more colleges and universities commit to a public mission, it is critical that our work as anchor institutions have a sustainable and positive impact, and that we collaborate fully with the diverse voices and expertise beyond our campuses—the most valuable assets of our multicultural cities. Taking Syracuse, New York, as a microcosm, the authors examine how Syracuse University physically and metaphorically has become an embedded and trusted anchor institution by building “civil infrastructure ” to enable lasting “social infrastructure. ” We joined with numerous partners in one of the city’s poorest but most promising neigh-borhoods to design “green homes, ” repurpose old warehouses, and greatly expand educational opportunities for all children. As we did, art, technology, and literacy began to rewrite the story of the neighborhood. Scholars, students, and residents forged “communities of experts ” to fulfill the central promise of an anchor institution: to make a sustainable difference in our community.