WHY JOIN CUMU?
The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities empowers member institutions to advance social and economic mobility, regional economic impact, and community well-being through place-based strategies and collaborative initiatives. CUMU connects campuses to share best practices, foster partnerships, and amplify impact.
CUMU’s diverse membership of 120+ U.S. and international institutions represents the breadth and depth of higher education. Our coalition is small enough for members to make meaningful connections across the field, but large enough to find inspiration from those in similar and different contexts.
A membership for your entire campus
CUMU’s institutional membership provides unique opportunities for everyone on your campus—senior leadership, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and partners—to participate in and benefit from CUMU.
Connect. Learn. Collaborate.
CUMU member campuses are on the edge of what is happening in higher education and society. The power of CUMU is our ability to connect and convene members to address critical challenges, share impactful solutions, and gain national visibility.
- Annual conference
- Anchor Learning Network
- Huddles (informal learning communities)
- Virtual programs (webinars, community conversations, workshops)
- Presidential programming
- Because Place Matters (monthly newsletter)
- Metropolitan Universities journal
- Research fellowships and publications
- Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award
“The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is one of the founding members of CUMU, and we remain committed to advancing the goals of the organization, which align directly with our mission as Chattanooga’s University. I look forward to sharing and learning about best practices of our member institutions as we strive to serve both our students and our communities.”
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
“Colleges and universities seated in urban and metropolitan areas have a fundamental responsibility to aid in the transformation of the communities in which they sit with access, affordability, and social mobility as north stars. Further, it is the role of these academic institutions to partner with municipal government and the private sector to educate and elevate for the common good.”
Rutgers University–Camden
“We’re proud to be a part of CUMU, an organization that understands the unique challenges and opportunities universities like ours face. Together, we strive to foster student success, upward social mobility, and workforce development, ensuring that our students and our region rise together.”
California State University, San Marcos
“CUMU member institutions are breaking ground and have a responsibility to lead the way for the future of higher education. We are essential to the economic prosperity of our urban areas and CUMU is helping us share best practices in student success, research and so much more.”
Florida International University
“The urban university has the greatest power to restore the public’s confidence in higher education. Because CUMU brings together urban and metropolitan universities across our nation for discourse, research, and public advocacy, CUMU has the greatest potential to restore not only local trust in higher education, but national trust as well, by fostering actual rather than merely aspirational impact.”
University of Houston-Downtown
“The need for higher education to illustrate its relevancy and help enact positive results for people, and our communities is increasingly imperative. An essential partner in our efforts to amplify our impact nationally is the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.”
University of Missouri–St. Louis
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