As a new academic year approaches with bittersweet family farewells and joyous reunions with colleagues and friends, southwestern Pennsylvania prepares to light the candles on Pittsburgh's 250th birthday cake. It is an excellent time to reflect on the role of higher education in the history and future of our region.

OPINION 250:

To commemorate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary, the Post-Gazette Forum section is running articles throughout the year that explore how the region can build on its past to make a better future. Unsolicited viewpoints also are welcome for possible publication in the newspaper or at post-gazette.com. Send e-mail to: opinion@post-gazette.com (Please include Opinion 250 in the subject line.) • • • Post-Gazette coverage of the city's birthday

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For the better part of two centuries, Pittsburgh's economy was fueled by heavy industry, manufacturing and commerce. When this traditional economic base faltered in the 1970s and '80s, it was replaced by such growing sectors as health care, research and technology.

At the heart of this economic and cultural shift have been the region's diverse institutions of higher education. While the national media in recent years has "discovered" Pittsburgh as a dynamic "college town," higher education has long been an important regional asset.

Figures help tell the story. The diverse members of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, a consortium of the 10 accredited colleges and universities in Allegheny County, boast 25,000 employees who educate more than 55,000 full-time, 24,000 part-time and 20,000 non-credit students. Its members have a direct economic impact of more than $2 billion, which includes everything from goods and services purchased, to personal spending by students, faculty and staff. Local colleges and universities each sprang from unique roots, which shaped and defined them.

The University of Pittsburgh is a large public institution dating back to 1787, while Point Park University began as the Business Training College in 1933 during the Great Depression. Mount Mercy College and the Pennsylvania Female College are now, respectively, Carlow University and Chatham University. The Community College of Allegheny County offers two-year programs leading to associate degrees while Carnegie Mellon University attracts graduate students from around the world. Duquesne is widely recognized as an outstanding Catholic university.

Local colleges and universities produce thousands of graduates each year who, in turn, use their skills and knowledge to improve communities throughout the region and the world. According to U.S. Census figures, in 2006 27 percent of the Pittsburgh metro population -- 282,941 individuals -- held a bachelor's degree or higher, many awarded by local colleges and universities.

Graduates of southwestern Pennsylvania institutions have received Nobel prizes, invented life-changing products, created award-winning musicals, plays and movies, and established entities that provide key social services and life-saving technologies. Student organizations raise money for charity and, along with faculty and staff, volunteer in the community and support many nonprofit organizations. Colleges and universities sponsor events, theater productions, concerts, programs and speakers, many of which are available to the public at no or little cost. They offer summer programs and camps for middle- and high-school students that not only teach them particular subjects or skills but also open the eyes of some to the possibility of attending college.

Robert Morris University hosts the Allegheny County office of America's Promise, which is dedicated to building stronger, self-sustainable communities that engage youth at all levels of decision making. The Pittsburgh Theological Seminary initiated the Metro-Urban Institute to help churches address growing concerns related to urban living. La Roche College's Pacem in Terris Institute provides a college education to students from conflict, post-conflict and developing regions of the world.

Colleges and universities are playing key roles in redeveloping Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

At Point Park, we have just launched the Academic Village at Point Park University, a $210 million project that will transform our Downtown campus and the surrounding neighborhood. The plan, which will include moving the Pittsburgh Playhouse of Point Park University from Oakland to Downtown, will provide new academic and cultural facilities, architectural preservation and streetscape improvements.

Duquesne University recently opened its $35 million Power Center on Forbes Avenue, reinvigorating Uptown with street-level retail and student recreational facilities. The University of Pittsburgh has continued to enhance its investment in the Oakland neighborhood, focusing in the past year on preserving its architectural treasures with a $5 million restoration of the Cathedral of Learning. Carnegie Mellon University, in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, is looking to further develop Craig Street, a key connection between its main campus and the Mellon and Software Engineering Institutes. Chatham University's recent acquisitions of properties in Shadyside and Richland Township will expand its programs and its ongoing commitment to environmental issues.

Local higher education also is playing a key role in the greening of Pittsburgh, recognized as one of the greenest cities in America. This reputation has been earned in part because local colleges and universities are leading the way in recycling, reducing waste and converting or building structures to be energy efficient or LEED certified. Point Park has committed to sustainable campus initiatives, and its newly constructed dance building holds silver LEED certification. At Chatham University, the Rachel Carson Institute, named after one of its most distinguished alumnae, promotes the awareness and understanding of significant environmental issues through seminars, conferences and other educational programs. This spring Duquesne University was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as the Atlantic 10's annual champion in the use of green electrical power.

As campuses spring back to life in the next few weeks and the community celebrations of Pittsburgh's proud history continue over the next few months, the role of higher education as an important part of the region's economy and culture should be celebrated as well.