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 The Newsstand is being sent to you as an introduction to the International Town & Gown Association. Members of the ITGA receive this twice-weekly publication and a monthly news letter highlighting college town news from around the world. Explore membership opportunities at www.town-gown.net to help keep these communication channels open to all. |
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School Officials Working to Mitigate DisastersSTARKVILLE, MS - An article in Mississippi State's The Reflector describes the Disaster Resistant University Program created by The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees for all higher education institutions in the state. The program encourages universities to plan ahead for both natural and man-made disasters. The Disaster Resistance University Program provides a means for FEMA approval of MSU's hazard mitigation plan.
According to the program's Web site the hazard mitigation plan will seek to identify natural, man-made and technological hazards, estimate the potential losses that MSU could incur due to these hazards and propose responses to reduce MSU's vulnerability. The purpose is to provide a safer university while ensuring that any interruption to MSU's mission during a disaster and the subsequent recovery period is minimized. A Crisis Action Team is formed to have an immediate response to emergencies. The committee for the hazard mitigation plan is made up of many individuals. The committee is mainly composed of campus officials, administrators, professors and off-campus members.
Mount St. Mary's Partners with Emmitsburg
EMMITSBURG, MD - The Frederick News Post reports Mount St. Mary's University over the past three years, has invited the town residents of its college community, Emmitsburg, to campus to enjoy cultural performances for the cost of a can of food. Called the Powerful Partnerships Program, the initiative was begun three years ago by town Mayor Jim Hoover and Mount representatives as one way to facilitate interaction between the communities. This is one initiative used to give the town a unique perspective on the campus, seeing the educational benefits of the University. MSM and Emmitsburg have worked on other initiatives including a mountain trail system. Cambridge2Cambridge: Class and CircumstanceCAMBRIDGE, MA & OXFORD, UK - A correspondent for the Harvard Law Record explores England's issues with Class and Circumstance of Town & Gown through history at Cambridge University.
Town vs Gown in Towson
TOWSON, MD - The Wordpress Blog, Towson Town & Gown, provides a discussion on Towson University students living in neighborhoods around the Baltimore County campus. The friction, and even $1500 fines to code violators, created by the off-campus housing arrangements for students ultimately comes back to University-neighbor relations with the community associations looking for Towson University to take charge in handling off-campus discipline. This is an example of what has led to the Community Impact Statement bill of the Maryland General Assembly.
The Towson Town & Gown blog continues the discussion asking "Is It Time to question Town & Gown?" The author poses several questions that need to be answered before anything can be resolved. He is looking for these questions to at least begin meaningful discussion. 1) What can a student living in a given residential neighborhood do to make his/her inhabitance more acceptable to community members? 2) What can a neighbor living in a community that has student homeowners and renters do to make students feel welcome and comfortable with the idea of working with said neighbor to resolve issues? 3) What does Towson University have to do, short of building a room with a bed for each of the campus's 21,000 students, in order to put the community's mind at ease? 4) Is there any communication channel that is not currently in place that would appease both sides of the situation? 5) How many individual students actually partake in an activity that upsets the community? |
| Planning and Housing in College Towns
Occupancy law is focus of Fort Collins City Council Candidate Forum
FORT COLLINS, CO - The Coloradoan news writes about a recent forum featuring candidates for the Fort
Collins City Council. A major topic of discussion was the recent controversy over city restrictions on the number of unrelated people who may live in a home. The issue was of primary importance to candidates and constituents from District 5, the district covering areas with a strong presence of Colorado State University students. Students spoke of how the U+2 restrictions make them feel "unwelcomed" by the city and hurts local businesses.
Student Housing and Waterloo's 25 year Housing PlanWATERLOO, CANADA - The Sound Off blog by Chris Schnurr gives insight and opinion to Waterloo's 25 year long term housing plan and how it affects college students as well as other residents. In conjuction with the housing plan, the city is working on new legislation aimed at encouraging landlords to take a more active role in improving the upkeep of their homes through licensing rental units. The new legislation is designed to give the city more latitude for dealing with irresponsible landlords.
Rebuilding Place in Urban Space WASHINGTON, DC - A DC blog author of Rebuilding Place in Urban Space discusses a number of topics from Urban Sprawl to Joint Transit Systems, RegionalCommunity Colleges, andgetting local colleges to locate some of their functions such as student bookstores, art galleries, even certain departments, even dorms, in the adjoining commercial district of the community. Other articles in this blog cover campus bicycle sharing programs, thevalue of petitions to change things, and universities and urban revitalization.
Rental Housing Vacancies in Oxford, OHOXFORD, OH - The Miami Student reports on the effects of Miami University's requirement for sophomore students to reside on campus and how living requirement have a domino effect off campus. The new requirement is having an impact on local realty businesses, creating a number of un-leased properties. Property owners and managers are resorting to offering incentives to renters who bring in other potential renters.
City Council Approves Redevelopment Plan for College TownFLORENCE, AL - The West Florence redevelopment plan, a road map for reinvigorating the economically depressed district of predominantly minority residents, was approved by the Florence City Council as reported by The Times Daily. City officials said the plan is not to reinvent West Florence, "it's to build on the positives that this community has". As part of the town/gown initiative, the University of North Alabama will soon take on creating its own master plan by the same consulting group used by the City. When completed, the two plans could work together to improve both the on and off campus communities. Comprehensive Housing Plan Recommended for ArizonaPHOENIX ARIZONA - East Valley Living.com announces that an Arizona Town Hall meeting will present a community program in Phoenix to discuss recommendations for a comprehensive housing plan for Arizona. The interactive program will seek public input on how to create solutions to Arizona's housing issues. Topics will include the impact of the housing industry on Arizona's economy and how best to meet the need for affordable and workforce housing. For more than 46 years, Arizona Town Hall has served as a "think tank" of Arizona leaders. Arizona Town Hall reports serve as a valuable resource for policymakers because the recommendations do not represent the agenda of a particular group or political perspective. Instead, the reports contain the informed consensus of Arizonans from different political parties, professions, and geographic areas of the state. |
| Alcohol & Code Enforcement in College Towns
Virginia Tech Warns Students About Off Campus Scams BLACKSBURG, VA - The Collegiate Times is reporting that the Virginia Tech Off-Campus Housing Office and Student Legal Services have received complaints about scams on students and staff when leasing properties in the area. City and University officials have notified the campus of these scams and provided tips on how to avoid being a victim. The scam includes the stealing or misuse of a legitimate realtor's identity and renting out a house, but requiring the deposit to be wired to an address outside of the US. On-line rentals such as through Craigslist are known targets.
Geneseo off-campus "club" house scene of drinking party and student deathBUFFULO, NY - The Buffalo News reports on an off-campus house where a 19-year-old Geneseo State College sophomore died following a drinking party. The student was found unresponsive at about 11 a. m. Sunday in the so-called "Pig House" across from the college campus. According to college officials, the College had repudiated the club in the 1990's, but they continued to operate off-campus as an underground, renegade organization since. State police have been told that drinking games - such as "beer pong" and "dizzy bat" - were held in the house on Saturday.
Maryland Community Closing the Fence on SmokersMONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD - Gazette.Net is reporting that Montgomery College has decided to close an opening in a fence along its campus borders that has allowed smokers to leave campus for a cigarette break. Nearby residents have complained of litter and inconvenience brought about by the smokers on public and private property. Montgomery College enacted a tobacco-free campus last August driving smokers to look for alternative smoking areas off-campus. The College will be erecting a fence adjacent to nearby neighborhoods where students and faculty have been leaving campus to smoke.
The Ins and Outs of TroubleMOSCOW, ID -The University of Idaho Argonaut writes about violations to the Student Code of Conduct of the University of Idaho and about UI's director of campus life and student conduct who handles these issues ,whether through the university's judicial system or through counseling. Cheating on a test, drinking alcohol in the dorms, downloading music illegally, or burning candles are typical on-campus violations. Students who are off campus when a crime is committed answer to the local police - not UI - but students who commit a crime on campus deal with UI, and police may be notified."A lot of campuses are moving toward conduct systems away from the immediate campus," the Director was quoted. "Washington State University, Boise State University and University of Washington have moved in the direction of a conduct system that encompasses areas beyond their campus for serious situations such as rape or other forms of violence. UI would not implement a plan like that any time soon, but it has been an area of discussion." | |
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Clemson, SC
The International Town & Gown Association is a non-profit organization that brings together leaders from college and university campuses and communities. Member representatives include Mayors, Elected Officials, City Administrators, Police Chiefs, Planners, University/College Presidents, Business Officers, Student Affairs Officers, Campus Planners, Student Housing Staff, Off-campus student staff, Parking & Transportation Officials, Students, Neighborhood Officials, Private Housing Developers, and many others sharing a unified town-gown vision. The ITGA acts as a communication, education, consulting and training resource for decision makers of colleges and college communities in areas of shared resources, programs, planning and project opportunities while addressing existing and potential conflicts.
Sincerely,
Chip Boyles
Executive Director |
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