By Kristina Goetz
The Cincinnati Enquirer

College presidents at three of Greater Cincinnati's largest universities will formally collaborate over the next year to improve higher education's relationship with K-12 schools, address neighborhood development issues and encourage community stewardship.

University of Cincinnati President Nancy Zimpher, Xavier President Michael Graham and President James Votruba of Northern Kentucky University have already begun informal conversations about how their institutions can bring together leaders from education, government, business and non-profit groups to solve community problems.

Two of the trio, Zimpher and Graham, announced the plan Wednesday to push forward a collaborative project during a meeting with the Enquirer's editorial board. Zimpher said the three would have formal meetings later this year to develop strategies for change rather than host "yet another lecture series" on economic development.

"University presidents have some convening power to be an ameliorating force for good," she said. "We need to do it while we have the convening power to do so."

All three universities have partnerships with the community. NKU, for example, has made a major commitment to science and math enrichment. It has partnerships with schools but also brought 2,000 middle school students to campus last summer for math and science camps.

"What this demonstrates is the ability of institutions like ours to compete and collaborate at the same time," Votruba said. "Each of us is going to take the lead on one of these and will at times combine our efforts."

Graham's private Jesuit college also has partnerships with the Evanston community as well as schools. The Xavier Entrepreneurial Center is working on a program with the new Entrepreneurship High School in Winton Hills. And Xavier plans to expand its involvement in the Evanston community this year as part of its strategic plan.

Zimpher said Wednesday that she has had conversations with Alton Frailey, superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, about how the two can improve education locally. Zimpher has experience in this area. Under the Milwaukee Idea, she advanced her college's involvement in city issues such as housing, economic development and education while she was president at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"We share the same town," Graham said of UC and Xavier. "We share so many alums. We more or less know that our future is inextricably linked to this community. We have a crucial civic role to play."

E-mail kgoetz@enquirer.com