Metropolitan and urban universities occupy a unique civic role within American higher education. Because they are embedded within diverse communities and often serve as anchor institutions in their regions, these universities have long been leaders in community engagement, place-based learning, and public scholarship. At the same time, the social contexts in which these institutions operate are increasingly shaped by polarization, deep cultural and religious differences, and contested understandings of democracy.

In this issue, pluralism is understood not simply as diversity, but as the active engagement of difference toward shared civic ends. Civic engagement initiatives frequently bring together individuals and communities with differing values, histories, and worldviews. When these collaborations succeed, they often create opportunities for students and communities to practice forms of democratic cooperation that are increasingly rare in broader public life.

Metropolitan Universities journal (MUJ) seeks to showcase how urban-identified colleges and universities enact their public mission while resonating with the work of John Dewey, who argued that democracy is not merely a political system but a “mode of associated living” in which individuals learn to work with others across differences through shared activity and inquiry (Dewey, Democracy and Education, 1916). Community engagement initiatives can serve as laboratories for precisely this kind of democratic learning. Through partnerships with community organizations, civic leaders, and local residents, metropolitan universities create spaces where students encounter diverse perspectives and must navigate disagreement while pursuing shared goals.

This issue will explore key questions and lines of inquiry around pluralism and democracy, such as:

•     How can community engagement initiatives help students develop the skills needed to navigate deep social and ideological differences?
•     What role do metropolitan universities play as pluralistic civic actors within their communities?
•   How can place-based learning help students understand and engage the histories, tensions, and diversity of the communities surrounding their institutions?
•     What tensions arise between pluralism, justice-oriented engagement, and traditional service-learning models?
•     How do community partnerships create opportunities for democratic learning across religious, cultural, and political differences?
•     In what ways can metropolitan universities function as anchor institutions for pluralistic civic life?

We welcome evidence-based manuscripts that examine the intersection of pluralism and democracy. The issue may include a mix of research articles, practice-based case studies (praxis), and reflective essays from scholars, practitioners, and community partners.

The special issue will invite contributions that address topics such as:

•     Civic engagement and pluralism in metropolitan contexts
•     Place-based education and contested local histories
•     Interfaith and worldview engagement in community partnerships
•     Urban universities as pluralistic anchor institutions
•     Community engagement in politically polarized environments
•     Collaborative partnerships between faith-based and secular organizations
•     Public scholarship and democratic bridge-building
•     The role of civic engagement in cultivating democratic capacities among students

Full manuscripts should provide critical, evidence-based studies on university initiatives that intersect pluralism and democracy. Authors should examine efforts that have been in place long enough to show both positive and/or negative results as measured through data collection, research and/or evaluation processes. To allow readers to apply ideas and strategies in other settings, authors should provide a clear description of the challenges and lessons learned. Papers that offer program descriptions of organizational change and institutional transformation without research or evaluation elements will not be accepted.

This special issue would be sponsored and co-edited in partnership with Interfaith America, reflecting the organization’s commitment to advancing scholarship and public conversation around pluralism in higher education.