Municipal universities refer to universities receive their support in part from the municipalities which they are part of. They form an integral part of the municipals they are in, and they intend to offer students a chance to gain higher education for students who would wish to gain the same but are limited by high tuition and the prospect of living far away from home. there are several municipal universities or
colleges in the United States such as the University of Cincinnati, the College of the City of New York, the Municipal University of Akron, and the University of
Louisville. The history of these institutions forms the basis of understanding just how these institutions had an impact on higher education in their municipalities.
Most of the Municipal universities came as a result of several circumstances that took place in a period specifically from 1837 to 1931. The University of Cincinnati was founded when Charles McMicken gave the state of Cincinnati his estate to set up a university that would accommodate white boys and girls. Upon his passing, his assets passed on to the Cincinnati which commissioned the construction of a University. The college of the City of New York was founded in 1870 as a way to offer free education for the Women in New York City. It began with a group of elementary school graduates who were headed by Miss Lydia Wadleigh. The girls were recruited to the campus directly from elementary schools upon passing entrance exams that included the disciplines of algebra, arithmetic, and geography as well as other core subjects. The courses it first offered took their years, and the period was extended over time to become a full four years that is characteristic of modern universities.
Another municipal university is the Municipal University of Akron was started under the name of Buchtel College which was set up in 1870 by the Ohio Universalist Convention so that the State of Ohio could have a college that was under its control. The college was named so because a significant benefactor named R. Buchtel pledged a significant amount of his money into the building the college as well as providing endowments that kick-started the college and ensured that it secured its place in the city. Following the demise of Buchtel, the college faced financial strain, and it took the significant contributions of city residents and alumni to keep the school in operation. Eventually, in 1913, the school was handed over to the city, and thus, it gained the status of a Municipal University.
The University of Louisville bases its origins on a charter granted in 1798 by the General Assembly of Kentucky; which mandated the setup of an institution of higher learning in the newly founded town of Louisville. The charter allowed for the sale of a significant portion of the land of South Central Kentucky that would finance the construction of the University. In addition to that funding, community leaders led fundraising that would add funds to the venture to form the Jefferson seminary. However, in 1829, it closed due to pressure from competitive public schools in the area. However, in 1837, it was re-opened under the Louisville Medical Institute under the Louisville council. In 1840, another college would be started, in the Louisville Collegiate Institute. In 1846, the two schools were combined under the Kentucky legislature to form the University of Louisville. The common theme in the founding these institutions is that the Municipal colleges and Universities had their funding from the efforts of individuals in the city or the state itself financing the establishment of the schools. Therefore, this gives a picture if what municipal universities were meant to be. They were ideas of individuals in cities or the city councils themselves to form institutions that would serve students in their respective cities. Therefore, municipal colleges and universities are essentially the faces of higher education for the municipalities they exist in.
Modern municipal universities still apply a system of teaching which was introduced by Dean Herman Schneider of the University of Cincinnati. This method is referred to as a cooperative method, and it involves students moving out of class after every two weeks to perform a service for the city under the supervision of staff. The students will perform duties that are similar to the courses that they are pursuing in the Universities, and they will also get a chance to earn funds from the service. In this way, students would gain real-world experience that would cooperate with the theoretical studies they have achieved in class. The idea that surrounds the formation of municipal universities is that the students should be part and parcel of their communities. Hence, the universities should always be in cooperation with various government institutions that are integral in the running of the municipality.
Municipal Universities and colleges look to increase the number of students who will take up Civic duty after they graduate. Therefore, the Universities work hand in hand with the municipal departments so as that the students get to interact with various experts in their field of study. In the end, the students also benefit from the correspondence. Students can learn more about their particular fields of study. At the same time, they receive the regular benefits of being in a university, such as interacting with students of different backgrounds and being able to pursue their artistic aspirations. Municipal Universities are at the core of urban fiction and form a symbiotic relationship with the city in which they are a part of, not to mention the fact that they offer affordable education for the youth and their respective municipalities.