Developing relationships is time consuming, difficult to manage, and definitely not for those who prefer a controlled classroom environment. Learning, when experience itself is the major text, requires skills of reflection and analysis for students and faculty alike. Faculty rewards, though generally more flexible at Metro State than research institutions, have not been uniformly revised to provide support for the extra effort that engagement with community constituencies requires. We have learned, from both our successes and mistakes, several principles that guide and sustain our work. Programs have their ups and downs, funding sources bloom and fade, but relationships between real people over a long period of time is what really matters.
Relationships take time to build .
There is no short cut to developing trusting relationships with community members. In fact, one of the challenges for those working in an academic environment which values product and outcome is to make sure that campus leaders are given the time to develop the relationships that are necessary for genuine partnerships to grow and develop. A strategic analysis is critical . Dayton's Bluff is a divided neighborhood with strong energy and a promising future. However, the key to the future is the development of organizations and institutions that meet the needs of both its moderate income and low-income residents.