PROGRAM AGENDA IS RELEASED !
4th Annual Best Practices in Building University/City Relations Conference
Teaming Across Campus and Community
June 1-4th, 2009
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Joint City University Advisory Board of Clemson
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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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LEADERSHIP
Student Volunteers Honored by Town and Gown Committee NEWARK, DE - The University of Delaware Newspaper, the UDaily writes about the University and the City of Newark recognizing 25 student volunteers at a ceremony and reception held in their honor. The Town & Gown Committee Award for Community Service recognizes outstanding University student volunteers who have served the Newark community. One of the 25 student recipients will be awarded the Nikki Woolf Volunteer of the Year Award as the top student volunteer of the year.
University Presidents Discuss Town & Gown in BostonBOSTON, MA - BU Today, a Boston University newspaper, reports on an Urban Land Institute sponsored panel discussion with area university presidents to assess the recession's impact on the town-gown dynamic. Presidents from Boston University, Tufts University and Northeastern University spoke on issues of financial difficulties of the city, universities, students and their families. The panel specifically began discussions on whether Boston and neighboring cities take universities for granted? How much do universities gain from being in such a vibrant urban area? What's a university-based concentration of brainpower and community service actually worth? And what are the priorities when money's tight?
College Student Runs Against Ex-College President for Mayor of NY Town ONEONTA, NY - An article in The Daily Star reports the announcement of a State University College at Oneonta student planning to run for mayor of Oneonta as either an Independent or Democrat candidate. He may be pitted against the former president of Hartwick College who is also considering running for the position, but as a Republican. |
BUDGET & ECONOMY
College President Emphasizes Partnerships as a Key Component to Solutions to New Growth and Funding
PRESCOTT, AZ - "Yavapai College and county communities need to work together to keep the college and the area growing", said James Horton, the college's president. The Daily Courier reported on President Horton's presentation to college staff, town officials and community residents at a recent public forum. President Horton substantiated his remarks with current economic facts about growth and budgetary conditions of the Arizona College and community. "During the past 10 years, state aid to the college has dropped from about $5.8 million to about $4.5 million. Today the state funds 7 percent of the college's budget. College enrollment has increased from about 2,900 students to 3,850 students during this same time period. Community Education (no-credit) enrollment jumped from 1,858 in 2006-07 to 1,912 in 2007-08." Horton continued that the college could take advantage of more partnerships with the towns and city to help them land more jobs in the quad-communities and gave examples of recent partnership successes. |
TECHNOLOGY
Students Use Technology to Organize Parties
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Chattanoogan news reports on a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga student message "texted" from student to student to meet for a party at the UTC Lupton Library. The event was organized and advertised by students using text messages and social networks. By the time UTC police arrived, over 1,000 students were present threatening to "take the library". Police were able to take control off the crowd after use of crowd dispersing mace and arrests of five students. Shortly after the riot, videos of the event began appearing on the You Tube video web site.
American University Implements "Campus Connect" Program WASHINGTON, DC - American University News announces a new mobile phone program on the AU campus resulting from a partnership between Sprint, Rave Wireless and American University. AU Campus Connect mobile phone program enables a stronger, safer university community by empowering students to experience the safeties and conveniences of the campus. Sprint provides phones, student discounts on customized plans, and an enhanced network on campus. Rave provides mobile phone applications that bring the campus to your phone. A phone application (or "app") is a miniature webpage that can be accessed by a phone's Web browser. Each of the Rave applications referenced provide useful campus tools to keep you safe, informed, and connected on campus. Applications include Rave: Alert, Email, Academics, Transit, Guardian, Groups, Polling, and Flashcard. With the mobile applications, students and faculty can send GPS locations to campus police; track the campus bus with GPS; stay in touch with friends, clubs and teams; obtain class information and schedules; and receive broadcast text alerts about weather delays and school closings. |
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PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Zipcar Expands Car-Sharing Program from Colleges to the Public Sector
WASHINGTON, DC - The Associated Press and New York Times reports that Zipcar Inc. is beginning to offer their technology to the public sector. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company plans to announce a new venture Monday that will allow municipalities to equip their vehicles with Zipcar's reservation and management systems. Better vehicle management through automated reservation systems like Zipcar's FastFleet will allow governments to streamline their fleets, saving money and the environment. "A pilot program under way for six months in Washington, D.C., has allowed the city to reduce the total number of passenger cars in its fleet by 360, or 17 percent. District of Columbia officials are projecting net savings of more than $1 million after the first year and $6.6 million after five years." A City employee reserves a vehicle online or by phone, and then enters it by swiping an access card. Keys are stored inside the car, and when a driver is done, he or she returns the vehicle to the pickup site. The FastFleet resembles Zipcar's traditional car-sharing service, except that city vehicles are used instead of Zipcar providing the vehicles.
LSU Receives Bids of Over $85 Per Hour for New Bus System
BATON ROUGE, LA - According to an article by the Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University received four bids for operations of a new bus system for the LSU campus. Bid base fees began at $86 per hour for operations, $2.50 over the current contract provider, Capital Area Transit, Baton Rouge's public transit provider. Student parking and transportation fees will be set once a final contract amount for bus service is established. Students have already approved up to $26. |
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
University looking to turn the City of Rock Hill into College Town
ROCK HILL, S.C. -WCNC -NewsChannel 36 of Charlotte aired a segment on Winthrop University funding a study exploring ways to make the campus area more of a part of the community making the City of Rock Hill more of a college town. Rock Hill's Mayor highlighted the need for more businesses closer to campus and improved pedestrian ways connecting the businesses and connecting the area with campus. The Rock Hill Herald added to the story that the City is looking to bring in an outside consultant that would help with the effort, at a cost of $114,000. Some critics question whether Winthrop students have done enough in the past to sustain nearby businesses. The school claims student spending alone already pumps almost $90 million into the York County economy each year.
College Invests $136M to Renovate Detroit's Argonaut BuildingDETROIT, MI - The Detroit News writes on the College for Creative Studies renovation of the donated old General Motors Design Center, the 760,000-square-foot art deco, Argonaut building. After a planned September opening, the building will generate 2,000 people per weekday using the building. Detroit supporters see positive spinoff not just as an educational center but also for nearby business improvement and also as a catalyst for the city's emerging reputation as a post industrials arts center. The project was funded through private contributions, foundation support, and an innovative web of historic and other tax credits that amounted to $63 million. The building renovation will additionally be a starting point for pedestrian improvements linking the Cultural Center, where CCS has its main campus, and the New Center one mile north.
College and Chamber of Commerce Work Together to Create "Keep It Local-Eco Day" MIDHURST, UK - The Bognor Today of Midhurst, UK reports on the partnership between Midhurst Rother College and the Midhurst Chamber of Commerce to organize a Keep It Local-Eco day in the town. There will be a family event held at the college's town site with entertainment for children and adults. Dr Joe Vitagliano, principal of the college said: "Midhurst Rother College sees itself at the heart of the local community. "Keeping it local is not just about supporting sustainability in the Rother Valley, but also about recognizing the fact we live in tough economic times when it is important to help each other." The town's businesses will be supporting the event and Midhurst Chamber of Commerce business manager Simon Clark said: "Shopping locally not only gives a much-needed boost to the town's economy, it also saves the cost and environmental impact of unnecessary car journeys." | |
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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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