The UKTGA, by Poppy Humphrey

The United Kingdom Town & Gown Conference in November 2016 was a two day national event held in Nottingham, England. The event facilitated the sharing of best practice in relation to off-campus activity within the context of the HEI sector. Keynote presentations and workshop sessions focused on changes in recent years from a legislative perspective and considered new and emerging trends amongst the student population. The conference brought together colleagues within universities, student unions, police, local authority, fire service officers, private hall representatives and third sector organisations, as well as others working in a professional capacity in order to examine the latest trends in university and community engagement. We were delighted to have colleagues from the ITGA, Colorado State University, The University of Colorado Boulder, LINK Strategic Partners and Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada.    

The BTGA, by Staff Writers

The Boston Town & Gown Association (BTGA) is pleased to present Boston 360°--a one day regional drive-in conference that will highlight some of the best practices, partnerships, and evolving challenges among colleges and universities in the City of Boston. The con-ference will take place at Boston University on Tuesday, March 7. The program includes a keynote address from Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans, a panel discussion with local experts, and breakout sessions covering a range of town-gown and student-services topics. For more information about registering for this event, click here. The BTGA was formed in the spring of 2008 by leaders at Boston College. We meet six times during the academic year to address off-campus housing concerns, recognize trends, and share best practices. We hope you will consider joining us for Boston 360° at Boston University on March 7!

UGA Today, by Chris Floore

A meeting with Macon-Bibb County Mayor Reichert was an opportunity for University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead to learn more about the assistance the university provided Macon-Bibb before, during and after its government consolidation. "As a land-and sea-grant university, part of our mission is to connect the resources of UGA to communities throughout the state," Morehead said. "Through our outreach programs, we help revitalize rural downtowns, develop community leadership pipelines, train local elected officials and help governments operate more efficiently and effectively. These efforts lead to greater economic vitality for the state as a whole." In addition to assisting the consolidation, the Vision Institute launched its Georgia Certified Economic Developer Program in Macon. This program offers a series of courses that provide training for Georgia communities. 

Effingham Daily News, by Bill Grimes

The way to plug the 'brain drain' in Illinois is by inducing more area residents to attend an in-state college or university, Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman told local business leaders Friday. "Ten thou-sand people per month are leaving Illinois to work in other states, and there's a net deficit of 16,000 new high school graduates attending college outside Illinois," Glassman said. Glassman spoke at the monthly luncheon sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. He said that by any unit of measurement, Illinois' public universities are among the best in the nation. Using a tuition that is third lowest among state universities, EIU is more aggressively recruiting students from its natural service area to offset the number of people leaving the state for higher education. "We can no longer take this area for granted. We are telling students that we want them." 

People arriving at Vancouver International Airport on a November morning were surprised to find a mural made of hundreds of blank sticky notes. A question on the colorful wall gave  them pause: "In my life, I hope I  don't stop ___." Some took the time to scribble responses: "learning," "exploring," volunteering." As part of its splashy "Don't Stop" brand-awareness cam-paign, which launched November 4, Royal Roads University filmed two public stunts: one at the airport, and another in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood, where passersby discovered a bus shelter transformed into a community book share. Aimed at mature students and working professionals, the campaign struck a reflective and cheerful tone to highlight the importance of continuous learning and personal growth. In addition to the videos, Royal Roads chose to highlight alumni stories. 

A growing and impressive group of professionals from campus communities across the globe continue to network and share strategies for improving town and gown relations. Join us on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

The ITGA strengthens town and gown partnerships by providing a network of professionals and resources, identifying and sharing leading practices, innovative solutions and professional development opportunities for municipal and university communities.