Abstract This article explores the challenges and opportunities that exist with conducting participatory action research (PAR) and argues that institutions of higher education, especially public universities, have a unique responsibility to provide benefits to the public via PAR. Drawing on current and previous PAR efforts, this article suggests it is possible to produce quality research in concert with community members by focusing on five key issues—conducting research that is centered around community engagement and citizen participation, involving community members as equal and valued partners, bridging the gap between academia and community, engaging in a collaborative process that encourages working together and leads to the production of quality research, and finally, focusing on research and policy that leads to institutional change within the university and academia more broadly.