PARADIGM SHIFT: TOWARD A COMMUNITY‐UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

This paper explores the dynamics and issues associated with system change oriented at developing collaboration with local communities within a university. The effort involves attempts to integrate theory, research, and practice across multiple disciplines, professional training initiatives that bring multiple disciplines into conversations on problems in the lives of children, families, and communities, and outreach to develop significant external community‐university collaboration. All five of the university's professional schools plus the graduate and undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences are involved in this discipline to develop communities of practice and inquiry around resolving complex social problems. The opportunities and hurdles faced in developing the initiative are discussed.