Colleges, Universities Becoming More Responsive to Community Needs

Traditional college and university curriculums have expanded to include courses and certificate and degree programs that meet the needs of the communities they inhabit. Continuing education for adult learners is one development; another is course material that teaches students how to implement needed change in their communities. From public health issues to economic development agendas, institutions of higher learning are providing community members with the tools they need to effect positive change.

One such program is the School of Community Economic Development offered at Southern New Hampshire University,, offered in various locations in the state. This program, which offers both Masters and Doctoral programs, tackles the financial and social problems associated with generational poverty and lack of economic opportunity in underdeveloped communities. Students learn ways to overcome the obstacles inherent in promoting development in these communities, to harness the available resources, and to organize community members to assist in the process. The school’s CED students have gone back to their communities and succeeded in creating new economic opportunities for the poorest of their citizens.

Community development, environmental issues, health and wellness issues, and many other topics important to the average citizen are finding their way into the curriculums of today’s colleges and universities. As they do, the connection between a college and the community it serves promises to strengthen, making higher education increasingly relevant to the lives of everyone involved.