To help public institutions prosper and meet increased demands on them in the 21st century, UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef and 23 other public and land-grant university presidents have announced a strategic framework for creating a stronger, more cohesive university culture. Their recommendations are detailed in an open letter to the chief executives of the nation's state and land-grant universities titled Returning to Our Roots: Toward a Coherent Campus Culture. The letter -- the fifth in a series of reports from the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges that present a vision for reforming public higher education -- identifies the diverse cultures that have helped fragment today's "multiversities" and offers principles for integrating the disparate elements to help institutions thrive in the future. "UC Davis is committed to creating an environment in which both our students and our institution can thrive," Vanderhoef said. "It will not be easy, for we must, finally, fashion a sense of common identity among the various cultures and subcultures -- faculty, staff, student and administrative -- that exist within our institution. Why? Because common values, goals and missions are essential to the success of universities like UC Davis, especially as we face the challenges of this new century." The open letter from the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities suggests eight principles for effectively re-invigorating the university culture. The strategy includes fostering institutional coherence, reinforcing the integrity of tenure, and renewing efforts to align athletics with academics. Highlights of the report concern: Institutional coherence The commission is urging everyone on campus to develop "a type of double loyalty and creativity." Although commitments to various professions, departments and services will always exist among individuals on campus, these must be "matched by loyalty to institution and willingness to collaborate to advance the overall agenda of learning, discovery and engagement." Reinforcing the integrity of tenure Working to change the image of tenure is also crucial for universities, the open letter asserts, noting that too often the general public thinks of tenure as a shelter for inferior professors. Universities must stress that tenure is a guarantee of academic freedom to ask unpopular questions -- not job security. The report also urges institutions to insist on faculty accountability through on-going documentation of performance and to institute effective post-tenure reviews. Align athletics and academics Allegations of over-commercialization of college sports, academic fraud and low graduation rates for athletes continue to plague institutions. For over a decade, university presidents have discussed a major reform agenda for intercollegiate athletes. The commission says the time has come for institutions to recommit themselves to institutional principles that make reform not only possible but likely. The report points to the 10-part statement of principles issued by the Knight Foundation Commission on Inter-collegiate Athletics several years ago as a model that would establish academic and financial integrity. In addition, the report recommends that universities: * Never forget that learning is the reason they exist and thus strive to become "great student universities," just as they may strive to be centers of research. * Renew their commitment to the basic values of discovery, engagement with the surrounding community, access and inclusiveness. * Re-invigorate academic governance and make existing systems work better by clarifying roles and rebuilding trust. * Develop administrative leadership, including among deans and department chairs, by implementing clear processes and encouraging collaboration across units to encourage stronger awareness of overall institutional mission. * Agree to redefine the nature of acceptable scholarly work according to the late Ernest Boyer's four-part model, by endorsing scholarship based on discovery, integration, application and teaching, rather than focusing solely on research/discovery. "Our universities have always struggled with the dichotomy of operating in two arenas -- holding on to the valued traditions of the past while, at the same time, confronting the challenges of the future," said Graham Spanier, president of The Pennsylvania State University and chair of the Kellogg Commission. "This has resulted in a fragmented university society that is ripe for rebalancing as we enter the new millennium." Founded in 1887, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges is the oldest higher education association, composed of 205 public universities, land-grant institutions and many of the nation's public university systems, member campuses are located in all 50 states, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.