Fulfilling the Public Mission of the Land-Grant System: Building Platforms for Collaboration and Impact

By: Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Policy and Global Affairs and Division on Earth and Life Studies and Board on Higher Education and Workforce and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and Committee on Building Impactful Collaborative Platforms in the Land-Grant System

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Synopsis: The public colleges and universities established in 1862, 1890, and 1994 as part of the land-grant system have historically played an important role in bringing the assets of institutions of higher education to bear on the public good. Their program activities in research, education, and cooperative extension support the public with opportunities to gain and apply knowledge, and their presence in the community has contributed to social cohesiveness, local problem-solving, and the regional economy. This report focuses on the need for institutional strategies that foster collaboration to increase the impact of the land-grant system at a time of growing public skepticism about higher education. The report concludes that authentic engagement and long-term relationship building are essential for successful collaboration, that ecosystems for sustainable partnerships are emerging nationally and at the state level, and that institutional transformation is needed to align missions with public values. It emphasizes that infrastructure and supports must be intentionally built to foster collaboration, that measuring and communicating impact requires co-developing metrics with community partners, and that national leadership will be necessary to sustain these efforts. By strengthening collaboration and embedding public purpose into research, teaching, and extension, land-grant institutions can rebuild trust and deliver greater impact for society.