Contemporary campus communities are far more heterogeneous, cosmopolitan, innovative, and fluid. Colleges and universities are corporations. Although they are neither profit-seeking nor focused solely on productivity, they must be fiscally responsible and responsive to their customers, or they will go out of business. Given the complexity and diversity of the academy today, community building will be a continuing challenge. One of the best ways to create community is to engage all stakeholders in renewing the mission, values, and goals of the institution and then assess the institution s success in achieving its goals.
Community is a powerful but elusive concept.
We must be unwavering in our quest to define it, nurture it, and provide space for the diverse perspectives that enrich it.