As co-chair of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, UNT System Chancellor Alfred F. Hurley hosted a working retreat for the chancellors and presidents of five of the coalition's member universities Sept. 21 at the Hyatt Regency DFW.

The universities in the coalition share the mission of striving for national excellence while they contribute to the economic development, social health and cultural vitality of the urban and metropolitan areas they serve.

UNT was one of the coalition's original institutional members. Hurley was among the university chief executive officers who outlined the initial mission and goals of the organization in 1989.

Members of the coalition currently include 59 U.S. universities, two Canadian universities and one Australian university.

Hurley says the aim of the retreat was to evaluate the current purpose, mission and programs of the coalition by examining institutional membership, sponsored research, and conference organization and attendance. In addition, the group reviewed the effectiveness of CUMU's Journal of Metropolitan Universities.

Hurley says the participating chancellors and presidents also devoted a portion of the retreat to sharing information about shaping internal planning at member institutions and improving external understanding about the goals of the CUMU institutions.

Finally, the group reviewed the CUMU model for urban and metropolitan universities, which is similar to that of land grant universities.

"Just as land grant schools are chartered to focus on agricultural issues and to support agriculture development, urban and metropolitan universities can focus their intellectual and research resources on the issues and development of their urban and metropolitan settings," Hurley says.

The retreat group will share its findings and conclusions with the entire CUMU membership when the coalition meets in Vancouver in 2002.

In addition to Hurley, the CUMU participants included Nancy Belck, chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha; Daniel M. Johnson, president of the University of Toledo (and former dean of the School of Community Service at UNT); Samuel A. Kirkpatrick, president of Eastern Michigan University; Blanche M. Touhill, chancellor of the University of Missouri at St. Louis; and James C. Votruba, president of Northern Kentucky University.

Other participants included: Barbara A. Holland of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, who is editor of the Journal of Metropolitan Universities; Virginia Wheeless, vice chancellor for planning for the UNT System and university associate vice president for planning; and Andrew Schoolmaster, executive assistant to the chancellor.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Governor reappoints Ray, Pettit, Craft as UNT regents
• Gateway Center to open for Homecoming
• Former Club at College Inn settles in to new home
• Meningitis, flu vaccinations available to UNT community Oct. 18
• Mean Green nickname, eagle mascot longtime traditions
• US breast cancer screening messages not always effective for Mexican-born women
• Faculty Senate kicks off new academic year
• Hispanic Heritage Month continues through Oct. 15
• Helping students make wise alcohol choices
• UNT researchers to study businesses after tragedies
• Hurley hosts retreat for leaders of urban universities
• Professor serves as UNT ambassador to Bolivia

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