The Metropolitan Studies Institute
Mission:
The mission of USC Upstate’s Metropolitan Studies Institute (MSI) is to support research efforts between USC Upstate and the community, enhancing relationships, promoting the reciprocal flow of information and ideas, assisting community and economic development, and increasing the strategic use of the University’s scholarship and outreach capabilities. The MSI engages in selected community-based research and assessment projects, notable among them the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project, and partners with community agencies to undertake program evaluations, needs assessments, feasibility studies, and data management projects.
Spartanburg Community Indicators:
In 2005, the Spartanburg County Foundation and the United Way of the Piedmont released Community Indicators VI: Strategic Spartanburg. The sixth edition was a culmination of many hours of discussion and research which has resulted in a community-wide project focused on the quality of life for all citizens in our community. Transitioning the data collection and assessment component of the Community Indicators Project to the Metropolitan Studies Institute has allowed for a more comprehensive assessment of the status of each goal, via examination of a wider variety of indicators.
Spartanburg Community Indicators Goals:
Goal 1: Our children will excel academically through the provision of quality education.
Goal 2: Our citizens will obtain the degrees and training to equip them to compete in a knowledge-based workforce.
Goal 3: Our senior population will be able to live independently in so far as possible with necessary support from their communities.
Goal 4: Our families will be stable and nurturing.
Goal 5: Our citizens will be healthy.
Goal 6: Our citizens will have access to living wage jobs.
Goal 7: Our communities will be viable.
Goal 8: Our communities will be increasingly safe.
Goal 9: Our citizens will have opportunities for civic engagement that promotes well-being and higher quality of life.
Goal 10: Our citizens will manage our natural resources in a way that will support current and future generations.
Indicator Reports for the above listed goals can be found on the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project website.