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 In profile this month is the Institute for Metropolitan Affairs (IMA), a public policy research organization operated by Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. IMA engages in a broad array of research activities pertaining to public affairs that impact residents and institutions located within the Chicago region, and actively seeks involvement in projects that bear on the development of communities surrounding Roosevelt Universitys Chicago and Schaumburg campuses. Responsible for applying university resources to the solution of public policy problems facing the Chicago metropolitan area, the Institute is committed to working equally with central city and suburbs, thereby facilitating the integration of the Universitys two campuses, and thus promoting its identity as a single entity operating in the Chicago region.
Founded in 1989, IMA works primarily in two fields of expertisesocial welfare and regional affairs. Its activities in the social welfare arena embrace poverty studies, race relations, social services, education, and community development. Regional work focuses on problems affecting the Chicago region as a whole, or suburbs located within a sub-area of the Chicago region. Additionally, the Institute seeks to accommodate the research interests of faculty members. Accordingly, while the Institute primarily serves Roosevelt Universitys Department of Policy Studies and tends to have its closest connection to that faculty, it remains open to work with faculty from other departments, and has done so in several cases. Within these broad parameters, IMA facilitates and conducts major research projects in the fields of economics, sociology, public policy, education, political science and business; offers symposia, forums and presentations on areas of public policy interest to the region; assists university faculty with development of teaching and scholarship; and provides contract consulting to Chicago-area governments and institutions.
Staffing and support. IMA is operated by core professional staff, but also seeks the involvement of faculty fellows on most projects. Additionally, IMA grants one-year fellowships to outside scholars engaged in research on select topics. Students and interns often assist with IMA projects. The Institute maintains a partnership with the Metro Chicago Information Center that allows it to offer a complete array of survey, geographic analysis, and data-analysis services. Core funding for IMA activities comes from Roosevelt University, but many projects are supported by grants from local and national foundations, corporate and individual contributions, and contract revenue.
Recent projects. Ongoing and recently completed IMA projects include an analysis of the 2000 census, including information regarding integration throughout the Chicago metropolitan area; research on employment programs in low-income Chicago neighborhoods; participation in a university consortium conducting an official evaluation of welfare reform in the state of Illinois; organizing and presenting forums on immigration policy, environmental policy, race relations and other social concerns; evaluation of a nationwide initiative by the insurance industry aimed at testing whether homeowner education can reduce losses in low-income urban neighborhoods; research on edge cities and presentation of a related conference including information on affordable housing, green space, transportation, and the future of the city; and evaluation of the Chicago Housing Authoritys new website for residents who are moving from CHA properties.
Publications. In addition to the IMA Quarterly newsletter, which is available on-line, the Institute has a large catalog of publications. Recent releases include the Metro Chicago Immigration Fact Book, which provides a comprehensive look at both historical and recent trends in immigration to the Chicago area, documenting demographic, social and economic changes to the region. Another recent IMA title is Profiles: An Economic & Demographic Factbook of Chicagos North and Northwest Suburbs, which presents a wealth of data on population, housing, income, education, employment, and government. Also available is Informing Social Service Provision: Evidence from the Illinois Families Study, which was prepared by IMA staff for the University Consortium on Welfare Reform, a six-year longitudinal evaluation of welfare reform in the State of Illinois. Copies of most IMA publications may be downloaded free of charge from the IMA website.
James H. Lewis is director and Kathie Kane-Willis is co-director of IMA. For more information on the Institute for Metropolitan Affairs, visit their website at www.roosevelt.edu/ima.
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