Purpose
As a land-grant university, The Ohio State University has research centers throughout the state and Extension offices in all 88 counties. OSU Extension takes the resources of Ohio State to every county. Ohio State is a member of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities. This is defined as public urban research university located in metropolitan areas with populations of 450,000 or greater and who demonstrate a commitment to their urban areas. Ohio State was also recognized for community engagement by the Carnegie Foundation for its extensive engagement programming and how its mission, culture, curriculum, and resources support high-impact community engagement. Universities play a Foundational Role of Universities as Anchor Institutions in Urban Development. Universities also link with the New Urban Agenda and foster innovation through programs such as the MetroLab Network, a City + University Collaborative for Urban Innovation.
OSU Extension addresses Ohio’s urban influence and the unique aspects of Extension in and around Ohio’s largest cities. The following are essential elements which align with the National Urban Extension Leader's (NUEL) framework.
• Positioning: Extension's engagement in relevant communications and locations for Extension at the neighborhood, city, county, and regional levels.
• Programs: How Extension leads, collaborates, and innovates to addresses the multitude of issues and priorities in the city.
• Personnel: How Extension attracts, develops, retains, and structures competent talent that reflects the diversity of audiences and issues in the city.
• Partnerships: Extension's collaboration to leverage resources for collective impact.
Ohio's Urban Extension
With 11.8 million residents, Ohio is the seventh most populous state in the nation. More than 50% of Ohio residents live in 10 of the 88 counties. Ohio State University Extension has a presence in all Ohio communities and continues to advance engagement with rural, suburban, and urban Ohioans. Ohio’s Urban Influence Ohio’s largest counties and cities bring opportunities and challenges due to population density (scale), influence of multiple jurisdictions (complexity), Ohio’s rural-urban interface, and the diversity of residents, workforce, community partners, and visitors.