| Abstract: | Summary Some of the strategies utilized by universities to carry out the public service mission to their communities include cooperative extension, evening colleges, workshops and seminars, community forums, research and technical assistance, and minority outreach.A conceptual framework originally developed by Armand Lauffer for describing continuing education in the human services, was found useful in analyzing the multiplicity of public service activities of an urban university. The framework indicates that continuing education activities are targeted either at the individual or an agency, and that such programs are oriented either to service or change. Within the framework Lauffer identified four models of practice: (1) the consumer choice model (services provided to individuals); (2) the training model (changes planned for individuals); (3) the systems change model (changes planned for agencies or organizations); (4) the consultative model (services to agencies or organizations).On the basis of the foregoing framework, four general categories of activities within urban universities were discussed: continuing education schools or colleges, public affairs departments or colleges, traditional academic departments or colleges, and university externalities. It was concluded that most continuing education units serve through the consumer choice model, that public affairs units tend to emphasize the training and systems change models, and that the traditional collegial units tend to fit the consultative model.The concluding part of this paper suggests that the delivery of public services by urban universities would be enhanced by developing facilitative structures, establishing a common definition of the public service mission, clarifying goals and responsibilities, inventorying public service activities and interests, and reviewing and evaluating existing public service functions.Don Deppe is Director, Center for Applied Urban Research, University of Nebraska at Omaha.David Hinton is Assistant Dean, College of Public Affairs and Community Service, University of Nebraska at Omaha.John Kerrigan is Dean, College of Public Affairs and Community Service, University of Nebraska at Omaha. |
