Not All Regional Public Universities Strive for Prestige: Examining and Strengthening Mission‐Centeredness Within a Vital Sector

Abstract

AbstractA dominant narrative exists that all regional public universities (RPUs) are striving for prestige and, if given the chance, would readily abandon their missions of facilitating educational access for marginalized students and increase admissions selectivity to privilege elite students. As a result of this dominant narrative, RPUs are largely depicted as being unsure of and uncommitted to their missions. This chapter tests this dominant narrative by examining research and media reporting about the sector. The chapter argues that some indicators of prestige‐seeking have been inappropriately applied to RPUs and that assumptions have been made about the entire sector based on the behaviors of a few institutions. Research demonstrating far more mission‐centeredness in the sector than the dominant narrative suggests is also shared. The chapter concludes with recommendations for policymakers, the media, and RPU administrators to help them counter the dominant narrative while strengthening the sector's mission‐centeredness.