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Cover image of Knowledge Towns
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Knowledge Towns

Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets

David J. Staley and Dominic D. J. Endicott

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The remote work revolution presents a unique opportunity for higher education institutions to reinvent themselves and become talent magnets.

In Knowledge Towns, David J. Staley and Dominic D. J. Endicott argue that the location of a college or university is a necessary piece of any region's effort to attract remote knowledge workers and accelerate economic development and creative placemaking. Just as every town expects a church, bank branch, post office, and coffeehouse, Staley and Endicott write, we will see a decentralized network of institutions of higher education flourish, acting as...

The remote work revolution presents a unique opportunity for higher education institutions to reinvent themselves and become talent magnets.

In Knowledge Towns, David J. Staley and Dominic D. J. Endicott argue that the location of a college or university is a necessary piece of any region's effort to attract remote knowledge workers and accelerate economic development and creative placemaking. Just as every town expects a church, bank branch, post office, and coffeehouse, Staley and Endicott write, we will see a decentralized network of institutions of higher education flourish, acting as cornerstones for the post-pandemic rebuilding of our society and economy.

In calling for a "college in any town," they are not simply proposing placing a traditional college within a town or city, but envisioning instead a particular kind of higher education institution called a "knowledge enterprise." In addition to providing the services of a traditional college, a knowledge enterprise acts as a talent magnet, attracting workers looking to move to cheaper and more attractive destinations.

With the post-COVID-19 shift to more remote work, and millions of people moving to more affordable and livable cities, a place that wants to attract talent will require a thriving academic environment. This represents a new opportunity for "town and gown" to create collaborative communities. The pandemic has accelerated existing trends that put at risk the viability of many colleges and universities, as well as that of many towns and cities. The talent magnet strategy outlined in this book offers colleges and towns a plan of action for regeneration.

Reviews

Reviews

Knowledge Towns provides an essential roadmap for how universities can be used to boost their communities.

Staley and Endicott issue a striking call to action for American communities to take advantage of the major demographic changes spurred by the pandemic to reignite stagnant or shrinking economies and build new prosperity. To seize opportunity, communities must work on gaining broadband connectivity, building the innovation capacity of their employers, and becoming knowledge magnets through partnership with education. Knowledge Towns lays out the path.

Knowledge Towns is masterful. It is well-researched, persuasive, and prescient, painting an exciting symbiotic role for a reimagined higher education enterprise. It reframes the town-gown construct as an ecosystem of community, local businesses, regional government, and colleges that collectively serves as a 'knowledge enterprise' to attract talent, develop human potential, and strategically grow the well-being of their community.

This book develops powerful arguments and findings in urban regeneration. It reveals the critical role for colleges and universities to play in the new economy. A must-read for investors and policymakers in this critical area for economics and venture investing.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
256
ISBN
9781421446271
Illustration Description
1 b&w illus
Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction: A College in Any Town
1. The Modern Society and the New Definition of Talent Magnets
2. The Knowledge Enterprise as an Alternative University
3. Archetypes of a Talent

Acknowledgements
Introduction: A College in Any Town
1. The Modern Society and the New Definition of Talent Magnets
2. The Knowledge Enterprise as an Alternative University
3. Archetypes of a Talent Magnet/Knowledge Enterprise Strategy
4. What is to be done?
Conclusion: History does not repeat but it does rhyme
Index
Notes

Author Bios
David J. Staley
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David J. Staley

David J. Staley is an associate professor of history and design at The Ohio State University. He is the author of Alternative Universities: Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education.