Making the University Accessible
The University of Minnesota has begun a program, called the Front Door, to make its expertise more accessible and transparent to outside organizations such as local industries and civic organizations. The program is a service of the U's Academic and Corporate Relations Center.
An article in the August 12 Chronicle of Higher Education gives some details:
As part of the new effort, the university has hired five "relationship managers" with expertise in areas like health care and engineering, each of whom has been assigned about 20 companies and organizations that are considered their accounts.The managers learn about the research needs of their accounts. If the companies or organizations need research or other assistance from the university, the managers can help them identify appropriate people to take on the work, either as consultants or in sponsored-research.
Companies and other organizations not designated as accounts can also contact the Front Door office for help. Mr. Mulcahy [the U's Vice President for Research] says the staff members there will make sure inquiries get a clear and quick response. "We do not play phone tag with you," he says.
Since the university is part of the 20-member Midwest Research University Network, Front Door personnel will also draw upon faculty researchers at other institutions in the region.
Some offices in the University, such as the Children, Youth, and Family Consortium and the Minnesota Extension Service, already provide similar services. But the advantage of a single front door, in helping the public navigate our complex structures, is clear.