PROGRAM AGENDA IS RELEASED !
4th Annual Best Practices in Building University/City Relations Conference
Teaming Across Campus and Community
June 1-4th, 2009
Visit Our Sponsor |
| Member Links |
|
Joint City University Advisory Board of Clemson
| |
 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. |
|
TOWN & GOWN LEADERSHIP
Interview With President of Davidson on Sustainability and Town Growth
DAVIDSON, NC - Davidson News provides a video of President Ross of Davidson College reflecting on his nearly two years as president at Davidson and his taking a long, broad look at the college's future, while reacting to financial troubles amid the economic downturn. Other topics included environmental sustainability, town-gown relations and growth. St Andrews University Principal Withdraws Her Support for Men-Only Golf Club ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND, UK - The Telegraph news announced that the Principal of Scotland's oldest university has withdrawn support for a historic men only club, weeks after she was denied membership of the world's most famous golf club. The all-male club, which was founded in 1926, is renowned for its annual procession through the medieval town and for its May Ball. It raises money for charitable causes but its members have been accused in the past of elitism and sexism. The Principal's criticism of the club was seen as a thinly veiled rebuke to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which has invited both her predecessors to become members.The decision means she will not take part in next weekend's annual procession in which the 60 male members dress up as women. The event brings to life the history of the university and the town.
Elon University Working to Improve Town/Gown Relations with New Student Programs ELON, NC - The Pendulum reports on recent activities by Elon University to educate students on responsibilities of living off-campus and living within the Elon community. Elon's Office of Student Development works directly with the Town of Elon and The Town of Elon Police to ensure students are maintaining a decent level of conduct and that any violations are dealt with properly. Every Monday morning, the Office of Student Development, the Office of Judicial Affairs and the Town of Elon Police meet to review any violations that occurred in the past weekend. A notice is then sent out to the student or students who committed the violations. According to the Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Associate dean of Students, Jana Lynn Patterson, the next steps to increasing unity between students and local residents consist of three steps. First will be the creation of a Town Student Council, which will consist of students who will meet with members from the Elon Board of Aldermen on a regular basis to keep open communication. Next, Patterson will look at other universities' local towns to see what they are doing to be student-friendly. Finally, plans will be installed to encourage faculty and staff to live closer to town to "build a stronger community." "I'm real optimistic," Patterson said. "Our students are wonderful. They want to be good neighbors. But they need to know the parameters." |
SAFETY & HEALTH
UC-Davis Inititaive Helps to Reduce High-Risk Drinking
DAVIS, CA - From the UC Davis News & Information news service, fewer UC Davis students are engaging in high-risk drinking and the community is raising expectations for responsible behavior related to alcohol and parties, according to a report on a major local effort. The Safe Party Initiative at UC Davis began as part of a $6.9 million research project at 14 UC and California State University campuses to help combat high-risk drinking among college students in California. "As a community, we have worked together and made a real difference in this problem," said Michelle Famula, director of Student Health Services and a principal project investigator for the Davis campus. State of Kentucky Recognize Second Sunday Program for Healthy AcitivitiesFRANKFORT, KY - According to an announcement by University of Kentucky News, Kentucky State officials emphasized the importance of physical activity by supporting "Second Sunday", a statewide initiative coordinated by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Second Sunday is an event that encourages all forms of physical activity in the comforts of local environments. It originated in Bogota, Columbia where officials close more than 70 miles of roads to vehicles, opening them to local residents for exercise every Sunday. Several communities in the United States have had similar events, but Kentucky is the first state to have a statewide initiative. |
| PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Stanford Partnership Combines Social Networking with Car Pooling to Meet Transportation Sustainability and Innovation Goals
STANFORD, CA - The Stanford Report writes on a new partnership program being offered at Standford University, the Zipcar and Zimride car-sharing program. Zipcar, based in Cambridge, Mass., debuted on campus at the end of 2007. It has 18 vehicles stationed at nine different locations at Stanford. With 1,200 Zipcar members at the university, each pays an annual membership fee of $35. The hourly driving rate starts at $8 or $66 per day. Zipcar vehicles can be reserved and driven around the clock, and each has a dedicated parking space.
Zimride, based in Palo Alto, started in 2007 and launched a customized version of its online application for Stanford in November 2008. There are 1,400 members at Stanford, and students, staff and faculty can join at no cost. Using Zimride's innovative carpool software, members simply set up a social profile and proceed to post trips they would like to take or offer. Along with an intuitive interface, Zimride combines Google Maps, a proprietary ride-matching algorithm and many aspects of social networking. An especially attractive feature is that Zimride integrates seamlessly with a Facebook profile, allowing members to get to know potential riders or drivers beforehand.
New Bike Plan at University of Kentucky Draws Criticism
LEXINGTON, KY - The Kentucky Kernel news reports on a new bicycle plan at UK that is bringing mixed feelings from student biking enthusiasts. The new plan designed by Parking and Transportation Services, means beginning in July, students will have to put a permit decal on their bicycles to park at bike racks on campus. These passes cost $15 for lifetime registration, but from July until March 2010, the fee will be waived. The plan would help with tracking stolen bikes and help purchase new bike racks UK needs. Others see the fee as simply as a way to generate revenue. Some have responded that the new improvements may triple the amount of bike riding on campus. |
| ALCOHOL & ENFORCEMENT
District Attorney Targets Unsupervised Fraternity Parties
GENESEO, NY - The Lameron, Student Newspaper of Geneseo writes that the Livingston
County District Attorney has vowed to crack down on binge and underage drinking on and off campus. This announcement is in response to a Geneseo student's recent alcohol related death. The DA noted that providing alcohol to underage drinkers is a Class A misdemeanor - unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree -punishable by up to a year in jail. Maintaining a residence where underage guests are charged money for alcohol is a class B misdemeanor - criminal nuisance in the second degree - and can "jeopardize the real property in question." He went on to say that whenever police encounter a person under the age of 21 who is intoxicated or has committed a crime while intoxicated, they will trace back to where the alcohol was obtained and who provided it.
Chronicle of Higher Education Reports on 'Restorative Justice,' Colleges Strive to Educate Student OffendersFORT COLLINS, CO - SARA LIPKA writes for The Chronicle (may require temporary subscription to view), on a Colorado State University - Fort Collins student conduct program of "Restorative Justice", a blend of mediation and restitution that seeks to resolve a conflict by identifying the harms caused and devising, with suggestions from both victims and offenders, an agreement to repair them. That approach to discipline grabs campus officials who carry the banner of student development. Restorative justice not only offers an alternative to the legalistic conduct systems colleges now shun; it also resonates with so many mission statements about personal growth and community. |
| Budget & Economy
Colleges Using Housing and Dining To Market for Increased RevenuesDeKALB, IL - The Daily Eastern News describes the efforts of colleges across the country, in particular, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, being made to address the current economic conditions and tightening budgets. Efforts include raising new revenue and cutting spending. Some of the measures being considered include suspending their free on-campus summer living for those who work for housing and dining; increased marketing for housing and dining services; Arizona State University is raising their housing and dining rates up to 15 percent in order to cover fiscal holes; several California state schools have also considered allowing non-student residents to reside in on campus dwellings; and transforming residence and dining halls into "green halls". | |
|
|
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 |
|
|
