In this third report, Backs Against the Wall: Urban-Oriented Colleges and Universities and the Urban Poor and Disadvantaged, Pastora San Juan Cafferty of the University of Chicago and the National Opinion Research Center and Gail Spangenberg, an independent consultant and former foundation program officer, assess the results of this set of Foundation grants. Noting that there are hundreds of urban-oriented colleges and universities in U.S. cities and their immediate environs, the authors examine the problems such institutions face in trying to help the poor and disadvantaged overcome multiple deprivations and begin to gain control of their own lives. They conclude with recommendations for addressing these problems.

Clearly, the issues raised and the recommendations made in this report must be viewed in light of changing conditions and contexts. Today there is vigorous debate about the federal government's role in education—the extent, for example, to which it should support student financial aid. And, of course, enrollments in urban higher education institutions are changing from city to city, both in size and diversity. Despite these evolving circumstances, the issues raised and the recommendations offered by Dr. Cafferty and Ms. Spangenberg are still to the point and merit serious consideration. In the meantime, we hope this report will help practitioners and policy makers shape the role of higher education in city life and help brighten the future of American cities.

Edward J. Meade, Jr.
Ford Foundation

February 1983