Connections to Communities: TCU, Fort Worth Region and Texas

Overview:

The concept of the university as an “ivory tower” is at odds with TCU's tradition and practice. This is a university where learning occurs both within the campus boundaries and beyond, in the greater community. In fact, TCU's mission of educating individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community reflects this orientation. TCU and the greater community need each other and do not exist in isolation. The university seeks and values its connections with many community groups, including those related to business and industry, health and medicine, faith and religion, the arts, media, athletics, legislation, education, and social services. The purpose of the Community Connections strategy is to increase our understanding of the nature of current and needed community connections, to enhance our awareness of the advantages of such links, and to explore the processes by which we may strengthen and grow our connections over time.

Critical Questions

1. How does TCU define community relations ? What are examples of current TCU-community relationships? What new links should be forged?

2. What are the advantages for TCU and for the community of a strong community relations program?

3. How can TCU prioritize current relationships that should be strengthened and new relationships that need to be established?

4. How should TCU enhance and promote current and future community relationships?

Town Hall Meeting

Below are thoughts from faculty, staff and students who attended the March 11 Town Hall Meeting, Community Connections: Building Relationships On and Off Campus . If you would like to add to these comments or offer new thoughts, please do so by clicking on the discussion forum link located on the lower left hand side of the VIA home page.

“We need to identify how we link to the community in larger ways to become more than just a university in Fort Worth but rather the university of Fort Worth,” Linda Moore, social work

“We need to create a way for people to learn more about TCU -- possibly through the establishment of a museum. Museums create a communal memory, opportunities to highlight our mission and create a showplace for students' art, activities, and more,” Chris Barron, extended education

“Service learning programs allow links to the community and connections that are broader than education,” Tracy Deitz, social work

“TCU needs to be more recognized in the community and we need to remind ourselves that we are part of the TCU community and larger community,” Craig Elders, student affairs

“We must discover how to manage community relations and determine if it is an office or a way of thinking,” Larry Lauer, vice chancellor for marketing and communication

“There is a desire to help the community but on an individualized basis we sometimes get lost. As a group it is easy, but we don't know how to get involved on an individual level,” Will Thomas, student

“I often receive calls about TCU's areas of involvement and it seems to come back to not knowing what everyone is doing. Maybe a website would help,” Victoria Herrera, admissions

Strategy paper

Connections to communities:TCU, Fort Worth Region and Texas committee

Jennifer Watson, College of Health & Human Sciences
Valerie Martinez-Ebers, AddRan College of Humanities & Social Sciences
Cornell Thomas, Special Assistant to Chancellor for Diversity and Community
Bob Seal, Mary Couts Burnett Library
Liaison: Larry Lauer