Do more, spend less. That harsh imperative confronts leaders in a variety of institutions today -- none more than those at Minnesota's colleges and universities, both public and private. Tight money is erasing many line items deemed nonessential from higher education budgets.

But remaining and in many places flourishing despite several rounds of retrenchment is community involvement, dubbed "service learning" when it emerged as a national collegiate trend a quarter-century ago. Evidently, and to their credit, educators have decided that mingling practical local problem-solving with higher learning is more than a fad. In fact, it might be a remedy for some of the ills of tight money, on and off campus.

That was the testimony of many of the 10 Minnesota college presidents who gathered for conversation during last week's annual summit of Minnesota Campus Compact. The Compact (www.mncampus compact.org) is a 25-year-old organization that binds some 47 Minnesota colleges and universities with a pledge to bring campus resources to bear on improving the lot of their neighboring communities.

The "service learning" the compact encourages colleges to do takes many forms. It can mean students and faculty leaving campus to tutor or mentor younger students, deliver meals to the homebound or coach would-be entrepreneurs. But it can also involve inviting neighbors to come to campus to plant gardens, share facilities or devise problem-solving strategies.

As Augsburg College President and Compact board chair Paul Pribbenow put it, colleges in the Compact are encouraged to function as co-creators with neighbors in their shared communities.

Some Compact-inspired activities have come in for hard questioning as higher ed budgets have been combed for cuts. Are they ancillary or essential components of higher education in a democratic society?

The presidents said they hear from people who claim it's the former. They were eloquent in asserting that it's the latter. They made a case that pertains not only to their own institutions, but just about every other institution that's striving to improve Minnesota lives on tight budgets.

Winona State University President Judith Ramaley put it well: "Engagement is a meaningful part of the response to the 'new normal.' It's not something you figure out how to do when you've got extra time." When students learn through real-world activities, their learning is deepened, she said. When faculty get involved with their peers and the community, their sense of purpose grows. For both, attachment to their institution and awareness of the responsibilities of citizenship are enhanced.

"What's happened [in the wake of the Great Recession] is that we have lost the sense that we have any control over our destiny. We've lost the sense that we personally can contribute and make a difference," Ramaley said. Community interaction and collaboration with professional peers restores that sense. "You come back energized, enthused about the work you do, with new tools to work with and new ideas to play with."

These college leaders have latched onto something important for all who would lead Minnesota to understand. Monetary capital is forecast to be in short supply for years to come. But the presence of two unusually large generations of active adults -- the about-to-retire baby boomers and their young-adult children -- make the coming decade a time of abundant human capital in Minnesota. Much is riding on the wise deployment of that precious and fleeting asset for the common good.