Meaningful relationships: Cruxes of university-community partnerships for sustainable and happy engagement

June 23, 2015

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In this essay, the authors draw on organizational theory’s use of the metaphor as a way of understanding and explaining sustainable university-community partnerships. They argue that pursuing and maintaining meaningful partnerships between universities and communities or organizations in many ways parallels our efforts to sustain healthy romantic relationships. Through a description and analysis of 10 cruxes for sustaining long-term, healthy relationships, the authors offer a model for achieving intentional, ongoing, and systemic campus-community partnerships.

Stewart, T., & Alrutz, M. (2012). Meaningful relationships: Cruxes of university-community partnerships for sustainable and happy engagement. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 5(1), 44-55. Full Text.