On December 5 2017, Oxford City Council approved of the Guiding Concepts of The Town Gown Initiative Team (TGIT) and authorized the City Manager representation on the team. President Greg Crawford of Miami University in Oxford had previously endorsed the Guiding Concepts as well. The TGIT evolved directly from the Oxford-Miami University community's experience with the ITGA. In 2015, representatives of the City and University began jointly attending the ITGA Conferences. As a result, town and gown representatives began to meet regularly, which led to the hosting of the second Ohio Town Gown Summit in July 2017. Oxford, Ohio

A new agreement signed by county, community and business leaders aims to protect the estimated 10,000 low-income families who live along the route of the future Purple Line. The Purple Line Corrider Coalition (PLCC) spent three years engaging with more than 300 residents, business owners, property owners, nonprofit leaders and public officials to establish this agreement. Gerrit Knapp, executive director of the National Center for Smart Growth, said this pact is the second of its kind in the county. "We realized something needed to be done to protect these folks from unjust displacement," said Renato Mendozal, an advocacy specialists with CASA. The Sentinel

At Sam Houston State University, a model of community engagement as a community of learners, developed over time. In 2008, an initiative began with a small group of interested faculty who believed community engagement could be a powerful force, not only for students, but also for addressing community needs. The ultimate goal was to involve students in efforts to make a positive difference in communities. We named this type of community engagement experiences within coursework, Academic Community Engagement (ACE). ACE course count has grown from 16 in 2010 to approximately 400. The Huntsville Item

Kutztown University President Kenneth S. Hawkinson presented the KU President's Medal to outgoing Kutztown Borough Mayor Sandy Green at a ceremony held in the President's Residence on December 5. "Talk about dedication and tireless work ethic," said Hawkinson. "The award is presented to an individual who has made a lasting impact on Kutztown University and the community," said Hawkinson. Twelve years ago, Green said she knew Kutztown was in need of new leadership and saw running for mayor as an opportunity to improve Town and Gown relations to benefit the community and the University. Berks-Mont News

West Virginia University business and economics students are working with the state auditor's office to help local governments operate more efficiently. Auditor John B. McCuskey announced the partnership this week. A news release from the university said the project is in response to financial concerns of West Virginia local government officials. McCuskey said the partnership also gives accounting students experience in financial monitoring and report preparation. The pilot program has been tested this fall on a class of 36 graduate students. They'll present the results of their work and make recommendations for improving the program. The Kansas City Star

Canada's talented and skilled workforce is a competitive advantage for our country that attracts investment, drives innovation and strengthens the economy. That's why our government is investing in Canadians, to make sure our students and recent graduates have the skills they need for the middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow. The Honorable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, today announced the creation of 10,000 paid internship to help Canadians better prepare for the modern-day workforce. Government of Canada