UMSL will continue to play an important role in furthering the mission of the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.
UMSL President Kristin Sobolik (front row, third from right), along with other members of the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Board of Directors and CEO Valerie Holton (center), attended CUMU’s annual conference in Minneapolis last week. ). (Photo provided by City Universities/Metropolitan Area Universities Association)
Through education and support, urban and metropolitan universities play a critical role in shaping the future of their communities. The University of Missouri-St. Louis is the only public research university. Louis University is a powerhouse in the St. Louis region, providing educational opportunities to a diverse group of students and preparing to meet the region’s workforce and research needs.
“Higher education has come a long way since the days when land-grant institutions were established and developed in agricultural regions of the state to support important economic sectors,” said Premier Kristin Sobolik. “Today, cities and metropolitan areas are the driving force behind the nation’s economy, and it is imperative that higher education institutions reflect that change and evolve to support the focus and change in our economy.The future of our country depends on it. It’s on.”
UMSL President Kristin Sobolik spoke to attendees at the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Universities’ annual conference in Minneapolis last week. Mr. Sobolik is in the second year of a two-year term as chairman of the organization’s board of directors.
This is a mission that UMSL shares with Urban Universities and the Association of Urban Universities, of which it has been a founding member since 1989. The coalition focuses on strengthening universities as they develop new responses to pressing educational, economic, and social issues affecting their communities.
As the only public research university in the St. Louis region, UMSL embodies CUMU’s core mission. UMSL delivers on its promise to provide access to a Tier 1 education and degrees that meaningfully impact individuals, families, and inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis region and beyond. UMSL has the largest alumni network of any educational institution in the region and plays a critical role in creating the workforce needed to sustain and grow the region’s economy. UMSL has served as a hub for St. Louis since its founding 61 years ago. It has set an example of leadership and inspired other urban and metropolitan universities across the country to do the same in their own regions. The continued success of these institutions is essential to our nation’s future.
For the past three years, UMSL faculty and staff from all areas of the university have presented posters and led interactive sessions, gatherings, and discussions at CUMU’s annual conference. They include associate professor Sheila Grigsby, who is also a dean’s fellow in the university’s community engagement department. Nursing; Brandon Ofem, associate professor in the Department of Global Leadership and Management, College of Business; and Naticia Small, who previously directed the Bridge Program for more than 10 years.
This year, the conference, held in Minneapolis from October 20th to 23rd, included Sobolik, Vice President for Research, Economics and Community Development Chris Spiring, Optometry Dean Keisha Elder, and Business School Dean Hsu. 15 people from the UMSL community attended, including: Syrah. Presenters from the UMSL community included Jill Bernard Bracy, associate professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics; Natalie Bolton, Associate Professor, College of Education; Stephanie Weeden-Smith, Prima Wagan, and Ifiany Ukpavi of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network.
Bernard Bracey presented a poster titled “Addressing the Critical Talent Gap in the Transportation Industry,” which focused on bridging the gap between unexplored career paths in the transportation industry and high school students. The presentation highlighted the labor and skills shortage in the transportation industry, particularly in the St. Louis region, and how many high school students are unaware of career opportunities in this field. Bernard Bracy discussed how UMSL’s Supply Chain and Analytics Department is working with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to bridge this gap through the Missouri Career Pathways Program. This initiative fosters relationships with high school educators, higher education institutions, and industry partners to provide students with a path to a successful career in the transportation industry. Bernard Bracey’s presentation aims to provide others with a framework for conducting career workshops that encourage high school students to explore rewarding career paths in industries experiencing talent shortages. It was.
Bolton’s presentation focused on the UMSL Postdoctoral Fellowship Practice Translational Research Program. The program provides mentorship and specialized training to postdoctoral fellows to support K-12 public school sites in St. Louis, using research cycles to address practice problems identified in the field. Masu. Embedding learning science principles and data analysis. During the session, Mr. Bolton highlighted impact evaluation, which assesses effectiveness in achieving the five program outcomes aligned with the framework. He also presented four case studies that leverage translational research to collaborate with partner K-12 charter schools and other K-12 education settings to address practical educational challenges (co-teaching, internalization of lessons, etc.). , social-emotional learning, and virtual coaching for resident teachers) were also discussed.
In their presentation, Weeden-Smith, Wagan and Ukpabi outlined how, after five years of implementation and troubleshooting, the St. Louis Anchor Action Network refined its original goals to ensure more sustainable impact goals. I explained. The network’s initial impact goal was to increase employment and spending by 10% in focus areas, including 22 ZIP codes in the St. Louis region facing long-term disinvestment. The session with Weeden-Smith, Wagan, and Ukpavi highlighted the challenges of maintaining initial impact goals, as it became clear early on that measuring impact is not easy. For example, network agencies struggle to find companies within their focus regions that provide the range of services needed by their anchor members, and population declines across the region complicate efforts to recruit skilled employees. It has become. The network has determined that a 10% impact goal is not sustainable over the long term. Attendees at the CUMU presentation were able to observe network trajectories and learn how to modify impact goals to better match empirical reality on the ground. The session concluded with a discussion of how the network has revised its goals around improving pay equity, maintaining a local and inclusive workforce, and determining non-supply chain support for local businesses.
“No other conference brings together representatives from such a diverse range of institutions,” Sobolik said. “It’s everywhere and in everything we do.”
However, UMSL’s efforts to advance CUMU activities are not limited to the annual conference. In June, the university hosted CUMU’s Anchor Learning Network Action Summit. The year-long, cohort-based program brought representatives from 22 higher education institutions from across the country to St. Louis to learn about the work of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network, of which UMSL is co-chair. By working to increase employment and purchasing in our focus areas, we aim to foster prosperity throughout the St. Louis region.
Sobolik, who first joined CUMU’s Executive Committee in 2022, is excited to see UMSL continue to play a leading role in advancing CUMU’s mission. He was appointed chair of the board in November after winning a unanimous vote of presidents and chancellors representing CUMU’s more than 120 member institutions at the 28th annual conference held in Washington, D.C., in mid-October.
In his first year as board chair, Mr. Sobolik, along with CEO Valerie Holton and other members of the coalition, have focused on thoughtfully and strategically positioning CUMU for future growth and success. They have worked to expand related programs for CUMU member institutions, expand the organization’s support infrastructure, and amend its bylaws to better reflect what it is like to be a forward-looking organization. It also added new member institutions, including Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University.
“We are grateful for the role UMSL and Chancellor Sobolik have played in guiding CUMU’s work over the years,” Holton said. “Universities are important partners in driving and strengthening the transformative and innovative work taking place at our member institutions across the country.”
Mr. Sobolik is in his second year as Chairman of the Board and is firmly focused on achieving these goals. In particular, she and other board members, as well as many leaders from CUMU partner institutions, wrote editorials explaining the direct economic, educational, and social importance and relevance of urban and metropolitan universities. At the same time, we plan to instruct them to support the program internally. CUMU members of this work.
Today, higher education is more important and relevant than ever, especially for universities that serve as hubs for urban and metropolitan areas. However, many people question its value both in their personal lives and in society. As institutions committed to supporting our students and communities, it is imperative that we address this perception gap by taking actions that clearly communicate and demonstrate the value and relevance of higher education to individuals and society at large.
In 2025, UMSL Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications Justin Roberts will lead a six-part CUMU Huddle series focused on strategic communications, an informal online learning community for individuals across the CUMU network . CUMU has never hosted a huddle or other program focused on communications, and Sobolik said the huddle is an opportunity for the organization to expand educationally relevant programs to meet the needs of its members. This is a specific example. With communication becoming a key pressure point both within and outside the organization, this huddle will help CUMU members craft a compelling narrative, engage with journalists and news organizations, leverage digital platforms to expand their reach, and more. It serves as a means of support.
Mr. Sobolik strongly believes that UMSL and CUMU share a mission and vision, and believes that UMSL can serve as a valuable example for other urban and metropolitan universities.
“Since its inception, UMSL has focused on aligning its programs, curriculum, research, and initiatives to the needs of our students and the surrounding community,” Sobolik said.
For example, UMSL’s research and sponsorship activities have grown more than 300% over the past six years, much of it aligned with the needs and support of our communities, businesses, and regional partners. Another example is that 75% of UMSL graduates live and work in the St. Louis region, driving the region’s workforce and economy. These examples demonstrate the direct impact that higher education institutions such as UMSL can have on their communities, and demonstrate higher education’s literal value proposition at a time when people are questioning its value. I am.
