ITGA Conference, by Staff Writers

CommUniversity, Strengthening Town & Gown Partner-ships, the theme of the 13th annual conference, was the subject of numerous presentations and sessions. The conference tracks were designed to reflect the broad range of issues and stakeholders involved in building the strong and productive relationships needed to impact economic prosperity, strategically plan and implement policies, and support the safety and well-being of communities. Keynote speakers included Frances Bronet, senior vice president and provost at Illinois Institute of Technology; Edward Ray, president of Oregon State University; and Vin Lananna, president of Track-Town USA and Asso-ciate Athletic Director at UO. Attendees came from 85 universities, 30 city governments and businesses from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Next year's conference  host is Columbus, Ohio and The Ohio State University.   

The Larry Abernathy Award, by Staff Writers

The City of San Marcos and Texas State University were honored with the Larry W. Abernathy Award at the ITGA Conference in Eugene. The Larry Abernathy Award is given out annually to the city and university that best exemplify the mission of the ITGA: "strengthening town gown partnerships." Like many town and gown commu-nities, San Marcos has experienced tension and conflict between students and permanent residents, especially related to noise and disturbances late at night. To help mitigate the conflict, the City and Texas State collaborated to form Achieving Community Together (ACT). The ACT Committee developed a comprehensive noise response plan with emphasis on education and community influence, not enforcement. Integral to the success was strengthening the City/University relationship with property owners and managers. To see the full program, click here.  

ITGA Award, by Staff Writers

The ITGA Presidential Excellence Award was created as a way to highlight ITGA members who demonstrate exceptional performance in volunteer service, leadership or educational achievement. This year, two initiatives were chosen. Marquette University received an award on behalf of the university's president Dr. Michael R. Lovell for his leadership role in creating an innovative public-private partnership known as Near West Side Partners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designed to address the safety issues in and around Marquette University's neighborhood. CityWorksEDU is a partnership between Colorado State University's Collaborative for Student Achievement, Key Communities and Off-Campus life as well as the City's Neighborhood Services and City Manager's Office. CityWorksEDU introduced 31 underrepresented students to the power of local government and how they can play a role in implementing change in a community. To learn more, click here. 

ITGA Announcement, by Staff Writers

We are pleased to announce The Leading Practice Library a new online resource for ITGA members. This idea came from a longstanding member of the ITGA, Eric Beal, Neighborhood Liaison, External Relations and University Events, at UMass Amherst. After attending the conference last year in Chicago, Beal proposed to the ITGA Executive Committee the creation of an online collection of municipal member entity ordinances, town-gown programs and initiatives, and college community strengthening practices. With guidance from Beal and ITGA members, the Leading Practice Library was launched last month and can be viewed on the home page of the ITGA website under the Resource center Tab. "The Leading Practice Library provides a user-friendly way for ITGA members to share resources, programs or policies with other members," said Beal. To contribute a resource, click here. 

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.