But some university and corporate leaders say there has been historic and institutional resistance to college CEOs taking on too high a community profile.
"In [Washington] D.C. and Atlanta and other cities, universities are an integral part of the business community. In Philadelphia, the impact of the colleges is so much more huge, in numbers, and in their economic impact. And yet, the universities have not been systematically engaged in the business leadership," said Hugh Long, head of the Philadelphia-based northeast U.S. division of Wachovia Corp., the region's dominant bank.
Long praises individual university leaders such as Drexel's Constantine "Taki" Papadakis and Penn's Amy Gutmann. But he says Philadelphia and its university leadership too often lack the collaboration seen in places such as northern Virginia, where he says George Mason University officials took the lead in preparing the workforce and planners for the huge influx in defense and telecom jobs in recent decades.
"There hasn't been the ongoing dialogue that could benefit what has become the biggest industry in this region," Long said.
Should university presidents take leading civic and business roles, weighing and supporting public policies?
Drexel's Papadakis says he has no problem identifying his school's interest directly with that of the larger community, and advocating for both.
Jefferson's Robert L. Barchi and Temple's Ann Weaver Hart say university resources should be available to political and business leaders, but they warn against the academy abandoning too far the neutrality that is part of its value to the broader society.
