Academic and Community Collaborations: An Exploration of Benefits, Barriers and Successes

Abstract

There is increasing recognition that academic and community collaborations enhance the provision of human services and resources. This article provides two case studies of collaboration between academics at Long Island University (LIU) and two distinct organizations in the community, specifically the Lupus Alliance of America, Inc (LAA) and the Nassau County Executive's Task Force on Family Violence (the Family Violence Task Force [FVTF]). It also illustrates the application of the framework described in the literature and offers additional insights into benefits of and barriers to successful collaborations. Based on their experiences, the authors suggest that opportunities for these partnerships are enhanced when faculty members are already engaged in community-based activities.

Keywords:

• academic and community collaboration
• collaboration
• community-based organizations
• human services