K-State Community Collaboratory

KPC Resources

K-State Community Collaboratory

The Collaboratory Concept: A community without walls

The word ‘collaboratory' represents the combination of collaborate + laboratory – originally reflecting the concept of scientists from various fields coming together for a common research goal. By the late 1980s the concept of a collaboratory was being discussed at places like the National Science Foundation and the National Research Council. Collaboratories were defined as a “center without walls,” one in which national researchers could conduct their research without regard to geographic location . The vision was that scientists who are dispersed throughout the globe could work together using appropriate technology to access each other, databases, and various other research tools.

Here at K-State we recognize the need for researchers to coordinate their various areas of expertise. Just as important, we believe that local involvement and empowerment of community participants remains critical to a successful campaign of community development. We adapt the collaboratory concept and add the dimension of community to reflect the idea of researchers and citizens working hand in hand to respond positively to the challenges that face us. Thus, the K-State Community Collaboratory was born, and the theme became “ A community without walls .”

The rapid expansion resulting from the Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure Plan (BRAC), recommending that several military units relocate to Fort Riley , presents a rapid and uneven population change. Facing a sudden expansion of up to 30,000 soldiers, families, and personnel, the communities surrounding Fort Riley face several challenges. How do planners, key officials, and citizens anticipate and prepare for this population expansion? To provide critical data collection, the K-State Community Collaboratory developed the first of local research initiatives, a community survey, to assess potential impact of the rapid expansion.

A recent press release describes the survey initiative.

The K-State Community Collaboratory plans future projects including:

A qualitative study of communities connecting Manhattan and the Fort Riley area, including interviews, observation, and a pictorial documentation of local changes and responses;
Coordination and publicity of educational and community development programs between K-State and the Fort Riley community;
Dissemination of information and analysis to community citizens, in cooperation with Manhattan city planners.
Continued development of the Kansas Population Center to establish a comprehensive center for resources vital to scholars and community/military planners..

William Wulf is credited with initiating the term “collaboratory” in 1989, in which he referred to it as a “center without walls.” The original reference is cited in Cogburn , D.L., 2003, HCI in the so-called developing world: What's in it for everyone, Interactions , 10(2), pp. 85-86. New York: ACM Press.

A Community and Collective Efficacy: What's that?

While many aspects of the Fort Riley expansion may bring positive growth, the abruptness and magnitude of change creates major challenges; some infrastructure components may be insufficient to match changing community needs. Recent devastation of the Gulf Coast and subsequent population shifts underscores the critical task of assessing a community's collective efficacy , or its potential for responding to rapid change.

One unfortunate artifact of sudden and uneven population growth is often social disorganization, which increases risk for crime and deviance. Demographic projections suggest that expected characteristics of the overall population change along the K-18 Corridor – heavily young, male, and transitional – will pose a heightened risk for rising crime rates. The K-State Community Collaboratory, already set to collect baseline data, represents a coordinated effort to prepare for just such an event – how do we assess our readiness and how do we enhance our capacity for risk response?

Other researchers have applied the concept of collective efficacy to disorder in urban neighborhoods, but the current initiative spearheads research addressing non-urban rapid-transitioning communities. In general, research on rural communities has been scant and limited to single-focus areas such as agricultural development.

Getting it right: Why is research and community involvement important?

People frequently fear change because of the unknown. Community media can play a central role in helping to minimize the perception of potential negative consequences of change for both established citizens and newcomers. Some future initiatives will incorporate K-State experts who will craft and test different delivery means (text, video, online, community forums) and the effectiveness of messages designed to inform and to prepare the community for change. Communication and dissemination of accurate information remains critical to any community endeavor.

This collaboratory model provides a means to examine dynamic growth and associated linkage among community units, while conducting evidence-based testing of best practices at the local level. With the current ebb, flow, and movement of military bases, many communities will experience rapid transition. Others, such as those now affected by population and associated resource shifts from the Gulf Coast , may go through sudden population influx; still others may undergo industry downsizing or expansion. Such communities are currently without an experience-based template for managing sudden change. The tentativeness of large bureaucracies, such as FEMA, in responding to crisis gives further testament to the need for local engagement and empowerment.

The K-State Community Collaboratory provides a blueprint for managing rapid and uneven population growth, while also advancing K-State as a leader in university-community partnerships.

Kansas Population Center, February 2007

Kansas State University

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work