Educators and local officials say this has weakened the leadership of the nation's largest urban university.

In the 1960s, the college began considering affiliating with an urban university.

By 1929 it became the largest urban university in the United States with more than 40,000 students.

The head of the nation's largest urban university should not have to punch a time clock.

The student from a rural community could spend a few weeks at a college in a medium-size city before entering the large urban university.

Today's public urban university is populated with faculty members who received their graduate education at the traditional universities.

"He wanted Columbia to become a great urban university, in and of the city."

The story here has been repeated across the South, as urban universities have become the economic generators in their cities.

Such activities can create strains between urban universities and their state legislatures.

As urban universities increase in size and complexity, they hire a large staff of city residents.