University as Economic Catalyst

John Bardo’s description of the contributions that Wichita State University (WSU) has made to the innovation ecosystem in its home city, presented in “Innovation in the Heartland” (Issues, Winter 2019), provides a compelling example of how public universities contribute to communities. For decades, public universities have played an important role in the prosperity of the United States’ heartland by developing the talent necessary to meet the needs of workplaces while providing students rewarding careers; by generating, incubating, applying, and sharing innovative ideas to transform society; and by enhancing the quality of the places they share with their neighbors, students, faculty, and staff.

But they can’t do it alone. Universities partner with community organizations; state, local, and federal governments; entrepreneurs, investors, and small businesses; major corporations and philanthropists; and economic development organizations. These efforts focus on a shared vision for healthier and more engaged citizens, thriving economies, and sustainable and resilient communities.

Universities play an important role in developing broader economic strategies. As neutral conveners of community leaders, they provide trusted information, clarify economic and demographic data, explain the implications of technical and economic change, and facilitate agreements among stakeholders that comprise a metropolitan region.

Authenticity drives WSU’s vision. Rather than attempting to copy strategies that have worked elsewhere, the leaders developing the university’s strategy engaged in a careful assessment of the assets, industries, needs, opportunities, and cultural milieu of the Wichita metropolitan community. As Bardo (the WSU president until his death in March 2019) explained, one size will not fit all. The strategy’s authenticity ensures that it makes sense to those who must play a role in its implementation and that the partnerships required for success are based on a common understanding of the region. As Jane Jacobs, the noted activist and writer on urban matters, once put it, “The greatest asset that a city can have is something that’s different from every other place.”

Bardo noted that the vision for Wichita’s future includes focusing on competitiveness in advanced manufacturing, particularly in the aircraft industry, one of the city’s economic strengths. To ensure the competitiveness of US manufacturing—in aircraft and other advanced manufacturing industries—the nation must continue to invest in the foundation and advancement of R&D, production knowledge, and manufacturing skills. This requires partnerships among government, universities, and the private sector in basic and applied research and in developing curricula that embed knowledge of advanced manufacturing technology and mastery of the skills required to use it. The results of WSU’s partnerships with industry demonstrate how this alignment improves industry competitiveness while ensuring a bright future for their graduates.

WSU’s clear commitment to the economic future of its local community is an illustration of the commitment of many public universities. Another example of WSU’s dedication is its pursuit to be recognized by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University. During this process, WSU is engaging with its community to understand its strengths in economic engagement, to measure its engagement, to document its impact, and to tell the story of its contributions to economic and community development.

WSU’s story is only one of dozens of public universities across the heartland that are partnering to build prosperous and resilient communities.

Sheila Martin