Building Statewide Community-University Partnerships: Working with the Maine Municipal Association

Abstract

Karen Hutchins and Eric Conrad’s “dialogue” illustrates the relationship between researchers from the University of Maine and the Maine Municipal Association (MMA). The stimulus for this unfolding relationship was the administration of a survey by the Sustainability Solutions Initiative Knowledge-to-Action group to Maine town officials about their experiences with, interest in, and preferences for university-community partnerships. Although municipal officials are interested in such partnerships, Hutchins and Conrad point out the need for improved communication and relationships with officials, so that they recognize researchers’ abilities (and limitations) in addressing municipal concerns.