International International Town & Gown Association Newsletter                       

College Town Newsletter 

May 7, 2015
Welcome to the ITGA Newsletter, a weekly publication
hightlighting college town news from around the world.
 
In This Issue
Campus Drinking: How a Party School Sobered Up
USA Today, by Rick Hampson
When Jonathan Gibralter became its president, Frost-burg State University was known as a school for those who'd rather party than study, a place of 24-hour beer pong tournaments and dime beer nights. Weekends began at noon Thursdays and ended, more than once, in tragedy. Which is why, on a recent Thursday night, the calm here was striking. There was partying aplenty, but no urinating in bushes, vomiting on lawns or sleeping in gutters. In a nation increasingly concerned about college alcohol abuse and its attendant mayhem, sexual assault, hazing, vandalism, this school has become an unlikely model of how to address a problem that seemed to defy solution. This was Jonathan Gibralter's vision: Rebrand Frostburg State by reforming it. Now, after nine years, he's leaving for another job. Bus he says even the rowdiest school can curb dangerous drinking, if only its president has the spine for it. In lieu of one "perfect answer," Gibralter had found many. To learn more, click here.   
College Towns Band Together, Create Energy Efficiency Website for Tenants 
Center for Digital Education, by Elizabeth Daigneau
When prospective tenants check out a new place, they want to know what the monthly rent will be. They ask how many bedrooms it has, what the amenities are and whether or not it allows pets. One question they almost never ask, however, is how energy efficient it is. For a town like Bloomington, Ind., that's a real problem. Bloomington is home to the University of Indiana, and half of the town's residents are college students or university employees. As a result, two-thirds of the city's housing units are rentals. "That has a huge impact on our ability to meet our sustainability goals," says Jacqueline Bauer, the city's sustainability coordinator. That's where RentRocket comes in. Developed by the city, the website allows potential renters not only to see the basic amenities a property offers, but also its utility costs.  City officials pitched the idea for the site two years ago at an Urban Stability Directors Network meeting. It was so popular that 14 cities--all college towns and all struggling to address various sustainability issues in their housing stock--immediately signed on.      
Penn State, State College Recognized with International Town-Gown Award 
PennState News, by Staff Writers
Penn State and the State College Borough have been named a recipient of the inaugural ITGA ImpACT Awards: Putting Practice into Action for their collab-orative efforts in diminishing the negative effects of State Patty's Day on the local community. The awards are given to stakeholders involved in projects and initiatives that exemplify best practices in the fields of town-gown relations, ranging from quality of life initiatives to shared services and economic development. "This award recognizes the persistent incremental progress that has come from a true collaboration between the borough and the University aimed as a significant community concern," said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs. "It's the best example I know of a meaningful town-gown partnership among us that includes nearly every constituency imaginable, from students and University faculty and staff, to borough leaders, law enforcement and permanent residents. The key to any success we've achieved has been the shared ambition of both students and State College residents, all of whom have been deeply committed to securing and sustaining a community for all of us that is safe, civil and vibrant."    
Washington, DC., Minneapolis and Denver Top The Best Cities List for Post-Graduates
MainStreet.com, by Juliette Fairly
Matthew Eskarous works as a vice president at a bank in Manhattan, but he lives in North Brunswick, N.J. near Rutgers University, his alma mater where he earned his degree in economics. The 37-year-old rented an apart-ment in Manhattan last summer for $2,700 and has de-cided to relocate. "I'm looking to sell my house and move into the city," said Eskarous. "I don't want to rent it because of the hassle of handling tenants." But the new crop of graduates joining the real world this spring could learn from Eskarous's mistakes. Increased job potential was ranked as the primary motivation driving Millennials to move away from their college towns, according to a Rent.com survey.  "It doesn't surprise me at all that the job potential is the number one factor prompting millennials to move," said Paul Angone, author of All Groan Up: Searching for Self, Faith and a Freaking Job! (HarperCollins, 2015). Rent.com's list of the top ten cities for post-grads included Wash-ington, D.C., Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco and Boston but not New York City. That's because Washington D.C. offers up 87 jobs per capita compared to New York's 33 jobs per capita. On top of its greater job offerings, D.C. is also more affordable.   
Raleigh Neighbors Prevail Over Student Housing Complex Near N.C. State  
Town-Gown Nation News
IndyWeek.com, by Jane Porter
Southwest Raleigh residents last week narrowly escaped a monster student-housing complex proposed for the land across the street from the leafy entrance to N.C. State's Centennial Campus. But their victory at City Council will quite likely be short-lived. The location remains a developer's dream, and the antiquated brick Carolyn Apartments that languish on the property today probably won't be allowed to languish there tomorrow. The land is just too valuable.  One council member, Wayne Maiorano, abstained because an attorney from his law firm was representing the developer, Dallas-based Phoenix Property Group. Phoenix, which has built cookie-cutter under-graduate student housing in college towns across the country, wanted to erect a five-to-seven story, 200-plus-unit complex at the site, with a mix of two, three, and four bedroom units. The complex's would-be neighbors weren't having it. They found a sympathetic ear in Mayor Nancy McFarlane, one of the three no votes. "I appreciate the desire to use that urban form," she said before the vote, "but this is not a building that interacts well with the neighborhood." 
Oregon State University's Economic Impact in Benton County is $1.312 Billion
Oregon State University, by Staff Writers
As Oregon's statewide and largest university, Oregon State has a broad economic impact that reaches across Oregon, the nation and the world. And, it continues to grow. In Benton County, Oregon State operations rep-resented $1.312 billion is 2014, a 40.5 percent increase since 2011. And the university was responsible for creating 24,810 jobs in Benton County alone. Oregon State education, research and engagement programs contributed $2.371 billion to the global economy in 2014. That includes $2.232 billion added to the Oregon economy and 31,660 jobs created statewide. The university's global economic footprint has grown by $311 million, a 15 percent increase since 2011. Direct spending by Oregon State contributed $973 million to the economy in 2014, including $571 million in payroll, $208 million in goods and services and $154 million in capital construction. Student spending accounted for $318 million, an average of about $10,500 per student in addition to the cost of tuition and on-campus housing.  
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ITGA provides a network of resources to assist civic leaders, university officials, faculty, neighboorhood residents and students to collaborate on common services, programs, academic research and citizen issues, creating an improved quality of life for all residents, students, faculty and staff.  
To learn more about ITGA and /or membership opportunities, contact
[email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in DC!  

Sincerely,
 
Beth Bagwell, MPA
International Town-Gown Association
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