International Town & Gown      Association 
College Town Newsletter 

August 6, 2015
Welcome to Dateline, a weekly newsletter
highlighting college town news around the world
In This Issue
Invitation to Submit a Bid to Host the 2017 ITGA Conference 
The ITGA is inviting members to submit a bid to host the 2017 annual conference. The ITGA conference provides an opportunity for members and guests to learn from each other, share information and network with professionals that work in the unique field of town-gown relations. There are a number of benefits associated with hosting the ITGA conference, including gaining national and international recognition as host and the opportunity to highlight the cultural and educational assets in your college town. Please review the ITGA Conference Guide prior to submitting a bid. Bids must be submitted by November 20, 2015. 
University Unveils Student Village Plans
Staffnet, by the Staffnet Team
The University has unveiled its exciting proposals for the student campus int Fallowfield. The proposals for Fallow-field Student Village form an important part of the $1 billion Campus Masterplan and will help ensure that Fallowfiled remains a destination of choice for students. A series of drop-in sessions are being held in the next few weeks, at which an exhibition will show visuals of our proposals as part of the planning process. Director of Estates and Facilities Diana Hampson said: The proposals for Fallowfield Student Village represent a unique opportunity to deliver much needed improve-ments to our accommodation, facilities, and wider campus environment, as well as developing the physical relationship between the campus and wider Fallowfield community." 
College Park, UMD Partnership Unveils New Homeownership Program
The Diamondback, by Matt Schnabel & Ellie Silverman
The College Park City-University Partnership announced today a homeownership program to incentivize univer-sity employees to live in the city. The program will provide $15,000 zero-interest, 10-year loans to regular, full-time, benefits-eligible university employees to help cover a city home's down payment and closing costs, according to the program document. The city's median home value is $273,100, according to the U.S Census Bureau, meaning the new loan program is "just a drop in the bucket" of the cost of a house, university President Wallace Loh said.  The partnership secured a $100,000 Community Legacy grant from the State Department of Housing and Community Development and $50,000 in university funds to develop the new program, said Eric Olson, ED of the city-university partnership.    
UMass Hires Amherst Attorney, Town Official as First Neighborhood Liaison
MassLive, by Diana Lederman
The University of Massachusetts has hired a local attorney and former chairman of the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals as the first neighborhood liaison. Eric Beal, a UMass Amherst graduate, will work with town and campus public safety officials, responding to incidents and complaints involving off-campus student behavior in neighborhoods near campus, according to a press release. The position, which became effective Monday, was created and advertised late last year following the recommendations of the Davis Report. Former Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis was hired to help the university and town handle and plan for such large-scale events as the 2014 Blarney Blowout. Similar outreach positions have been created at places such as Boston College and Georgetown University.  
New Dorms at University of Iowa Aim to Keep More in 'Living Learning Communities'
The Gazette, by Venessa Miller
A majority of the students living in University of Iowa residence halls are freshman grouped into "living learning communities" aimed at connecting pupils with similar interest and goals. "As the first-year class gets larger, the number of students who want to remain on campus gets larger as well," said Von Strange, assistant vice president for Student Life and senior director of University Housing and Dining. Among the social and academic benefits of living on campus is the relatively new mandate that all residents participate in "living learning communities," which house students based on common interests, identity, or major. The university in fall 2013 became the first school in the Big 10-and perhaps the first of its kind in the nation-to require dormitory residents to choose a community. 
To Cut Down on College Drinking, Involve the Surrounding Community
Drug-Free.org, by Cilia Vimont
Colleges can reduce excessive drinking and intoxication at off-campus parties, as well as nearby bars and restaurants, with a comprehensive prevention program that includes the surrounding community, new research confirms. Prevention interventions in the study included enforcing laws against selling alcohol to minors, driving-under-the-influence checkpoints, nuisance party enforcement operations, asking campus police to cite hosts of parties when they respond to com-plaints of loud parties, and use of campus and local media to increase the visibility of these strategies. The findings come from the second phase of the Safer California University study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).  Colleges that want to find out more about the intervention program can use the Safer Universities Program free toolkit, created through a grant from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention and NIAAA.  
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The ITGA provides a network of resources to assist civic leaders, university officials, faculty, neighborhood residents and students to collaborate on common services, programs, research and citizen issues, improving the quality of life for all.  
To learn more about ITGA or discuss membership opportunities, contact [email protected].
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