Conclusion: Appraising Asset‐Based Themes for Policy and Practice

Abstract

This chapter presents four central themes that are distilled from the volume. First, regional public universities (RPUs) are mission-centered as access-and teaching-oriented and civically engaged institutions. Second, no matter how RPUs are sampled and classified, they are at the center of college access and equity. Third, RPUs deploy lean resources to shoulder a strong share of undergraduate education in the 4-year sector, displaying some long-term financial ingenuity and resilience. Fourth, campus leaders have the power to shape and tell the story of the "positive core" of what RPUs are and do well in enriching the lives of their students and communities. These themes suggest that RPUs are positioning, based on strengths, to adapt to significant challenges in their external environments. Public and institutional policies may enhance RPUs and their unique contributions by rewarding these campuses for serving the broader public and economic good.