4th Annual Best Practices in Building University/City Relations Conference
Teaming Across Campus and Community
June 1-4th, 2009
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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. |
NCAA Division II Working to Boost Town-Gown Cooperation
NCAA Division II's web site on Community Service and Community Engagement begins a discussion on "developing students and communities by actively engaging in shared experiences and, therefore, has targeted community engagement as one of its strategic priorities. The objective of community engagement is to build relationships by bringing the community to campus to experience Division II and its events e.g., collegiate, theatrical, cultural". Partnering with the NCAA to develop community at the college level is Professor Rich Luker. Luker, author of the book "Simple Community," and designer of a web site by the same name, said "the economic downturn shines a new light on the purpose and value of Division II's development of a community engagement strategy that could help both civic and academic leaders keep in mind the importance of their
respective missions and their longer-term relationship."
"Town And Gown", A Term To Separate Communities??ATHENS, OH - The one-love web blog on social justice issues describes how the term "town-gown" has a negative interpretation implying two separate factions of a college town, seeming to always be competing with each other. According to the Ohio University Coordinator of Off-Campus Living, "it is the responsibility of both parties to rid the term "town and gown" from their vocabulary and their thinking...".
College Graduation Shows Town-Gown AffectionONEONTA, NY - The Otesgo-Delaware Dispatch describes in its news how a positive town and gown relationship is exemplified in Oneonta and the State University of New York in Oneonta. After a discussion about the graduation ceremonies, the story tells that "the Oneonta community likes having the colleges here, and it was nice to see - in the high spirits and good will of the 120th commencement - that the affection is returned." | |
BUDGETS & ECONOMY
Two Michigan Economies - A World Apart
ANN ARBOR, MI. - The Wall Street Journal recently published an article citing Michigan's economy as the worst in the country. Yet, there is a startling difference between the auto manufacturing towns like Warren and the entrepreneurial, high tech college towns like Ann Arbor. According to the WSJ "Ann Arbor's unemployment rate of 8.5% in March trailed the nationwide rate of 9% and was well below Michigan's overall rate of 13.4%, based on non-seasonally adjusted figures. By contrast, Warren's unemployment rate of 17.3% is among the highest in the state. The average family income in Ann Arbor was $106,599 in 2007, compared with $69,193 nationally and $60,813 in Warren." Globalization has hurt Michigan's manufacturing advantages, but has provided new advantages to areas like Ann Arbor where there are growing numbers of highly educated workers. This college town has for a number of years worked to create an environment for good schools, cultural institutions and community amenities making it an attractive place to live and work. |
PLANNING & HOUSING
Landlord Asks City for Stricter Penalties on Renters
CLEMSON, SC - The Daily Messenger writes about Clemson area landlords' thoughts on who should be punished when a tenant violates city rental codes. The City of Clemson holds the property owner responsible for certain violations of the city's housing ordinance. Clemson is enforces strict residential rental ordinances normally allowing no more than two unrelated occupants in a rental home and requiring all single family rental properties to be licensed. Landlords are asking the City for a system to punish the occupants more and the owner/landlord less.
College Town Neighborhood in the Works for Binghamton BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. - News 10 reports that Binghamton, NY is looking to create a "college town" neighborhood in a six block area in the West Side of town. The proposed "college town" neighborhood would not be just for students, but for all residents who wish to be involved in a more community feel. It may be the answer to a long standing issue of student rental controversies. As of now, residents and students like the idea seeing a place for students to live in a comfortable atmosphere and residents having a controlled and regulated neighborhood for rental units while adding new commercial and shopping opportunities. The idea has become so popular, that the City is exploring the neighborhood size by several blocks. |
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ALCOHOL, CONDUCT AND ENFORCEMENT
Students Give Their Input on New Proposed Code of Conduct OSHKOSH, WI - The Oshkosh Northwestern news provides the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students' opinion over proposed rule changes that would give them the right to an attorney during disciplinary hearings but allow university officials to punish them for off-campus misconduct. The UW Board of Regents' education committee expects a June vote on the proposed student conduct code revisions.
Differing Views of On-Campus Punishment for Off-Campus ViolationsDULUTH, MN - The Duluth News Tribune provides differing perspectives, of the University of Minnesota at Duluth's policy to punish students for certain off-campus behavior. A student says it is no one's place, school or family, to venture into the business of off-campus students. A parent disagrees citing that parents should be made aware of activities of their children, after all, the children have been entrusted to the school for their well being and care as well as education. A Duluth resident provides an even differing opinion, that punishing students for off-campus violations is the way to make Duluth a positive college town, "not 13th grade with drinks." |
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Town & Gown Leader Forum
A proposal floated recently in the university community of State College, PA would reduce the number of unrelated persons allowed in a single family or duplex unit to two from the current limit of three. This would mean that a new student rental could only be occupied by two students. The advocates of this proposal believe this change would be a disincentive to the conversion of single family homes to student rentals. Others argue that this would spread student rentals further into the neighborhoods. We are requesting feedback on other communities' experience with the following: · If you have experience with a 2 unrelated rule: o What has been the impact? o What issues do you encounter with enforcement? o Did you change from a higher number and reduce it to 2; or did you start with 2? o When was this rule established? · If you have experience with a recent reduction in the number of unrelated persons allowed to share a home, whether from 3 to 2, from 5 to 3, or some other reduction: o Was there a measurable impact from the change? o Was there community support or opposition to the change? Please respond to tkurtz@statecollegepa.us | |
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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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