John Borchert was my teacher, my boss, and my friend. He was my inspiration and my mentor. His insights and stories will be with me always. His perpetual optimism always surprised me, but it also affected me – making me a better person and a better professional. I could go on about his personal qualities, but that is not my task today.

My job is to talk about John Borchert's role as a regional citizen. Instead of talking broadly about all the things he did, I decided to focus on John's role in founding CURA, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs – which he directed from 1968 to 1976. CURA is a unique force at the University of Minnesota, running some 125 projects a year that involve faculty and students in issues facing people across the state.

It was John’s vision that university expertise could solve help solve problems. Some of his early work led to zoning around Minnesota lakeshores that has kept our lakes environmentally clean and visually appealing. The Lakeshore Project and the subsequent land-use project were breakthroughs in their use of technology (the beginning of geographic information systems) and in the policy issues they addressed.

Students and faculty from many disciplines were involved in that work and all were affected by it. One, for example, went on to become the state’s Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. That was another part of John’s vision, that students learned better and faculty research was better when they were involved in the laboratory of the real world. (He once told me he thought the best theory came out of practical work).

Today, CURA carries forward John Borchert’s vision for the mutual benefits of connecting the University with the community. In an external evaluation of CURA a few years ago, we heard the following from CURA’s various constituents:

John’s vision affects Faculty: Some 25-30 faculty are involved in CURA projects each year. Ninety-six percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience, over 80 percent were turning that experience into professional journal articles, and nearly three-quarters were seeking outside funding to continue their work. More than one faculty member has launched a career-defining research program based on CURA support of a pilot project.

John’s vision affects Students: About 80-90 students work at CURA each year. Three quarters say that experience has complemented their course work and over a third said it led to a course paper or thesis. Many said they learned as much (or more) in their CURA experience as they did in the classroom. Many said their CURA experience changed their career directions.

John’s vision affects the Community: CURA supports about 25 state and local government projects per year plus more than 80 projects with community organizations. The evaluation found every one of those projects was considered important and every one surveyed was satisfied (two-thirds or more were very satisfied).

John’s vision affects the University: CURA is helping the University of Minnesota fulfill its Land Grant and urban missions. Let me read from the report of the evaluation team, "CURA is, for many community groups and agencies, the only reliable point of access to the intellectual resources of the University. [For many of the University's urban constituencies], CURA is virtually the only game in town."

CURA is only one of the legacies of John Borchert. He was director for less than ten years, but that legacy continues. He saw the University as place that had much to offer the community, but had just as much to gain from that collaboration. (He once said to me, "Whenever I run out of ideas, it’s time to go to the field," which is geographer’s jargon for leaving your office and talking to people in the real world.)

The current challenge in American academia to become "engaged" with the community. The University of Minnesota has been engaged for decades, because it makes sense and because John Borchert showed us that it could work. He is gone, but his vision is alive for students, for faculty, for the University, and for the Minnesota community.

Will Craig

Associate Director

CURA, U of Minnesota

April 28, 2001