The official newsletter of the International Town & Gown Association™ August 24, 2020
REAL Training to Advance Racial Equity & Leadership
Join us for Real Action: Advancing Racial Equity And Leadership in Town-Gown Relations, Sept. 9-10. To learn more, click here.
The challenges of this moment invite us as leaders to engage with our communities on racial equity and to move forward making smart policy decisions that can eliminate racial inequities in all government policies, practices and procedures. Outcomes of the two day training include:
Understanding a best practices framework for equity and how it can enhance your leadership efforts in town and gown work;
Identifying opportunities to use a racial equity tool and data to drive results in university and community relations;
Building leadership skills in determining equitable practices that bring community together; and
Learning to build infrastructure in partnerships across institutions and stakeholder groups.
Discounted team rates of five or more are available. Reserve your space today. Registration closes next week! Questions? Contact Beth@itga.org.
Shifting the Culture of Policing
"No one hates a bad cop more than a good" was just one of the many sentiments expressed during a high-stakes discussion about the current state of policing in the George Floyd era.
ITGA's Courageous Conversations is a free lecture series designed to address challenging and timely topics impacting campuses and communities. The focus for the August 19, 2020 discussion was "Humanity in Policing." Moderated by Lisa Dvorak, retired Assistant Chief of Police and former ITGA president, the session featured Chief Sylvia Moir, Tempe, Arizona Police Department; Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz Seattle, Washington Police Department; and Commissioner Michael S. Harrison, of the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department.
All of the panelists agreed that more police training is needed. Developing skills for conversations that build relationships focused on quality over quantity and cultural sensitivity for the various neighborhoods they serve would help create more balance and understanding. A shift from a win/lose mentality is needed for rebuilding to be successful. The team also addressed the toll on police officers who are exposed to an overabundance of toxic situations during their career, citing compassion and empathy as the first casualties of their mental health. The honest and open dialogue was another step toward transforming the police and community partnership.
If you have a topic to explore in the Courageous Conversation, please contact Beth Bagwell, ITGA Executive Director at Beth@itga.org. Submitted by Joan Dickinson, Director, University Community Relations, Stony Brook University.
COVID-19 Updates
"America's College Towns are facing an Economic Reckoning." Bloomberg; "Penn State Launches COVID-19 Dashboard to Track Test Results." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; "Safe but Still Having Fun: Colleges Hope Off-Campus Housing Doesn't Doom Fall Semester." USA Today; "To Party or not to Party? USC Student Living Off-campus Weigh COVID-19 Risk." Los Angeles Times; "Early Adopters." Inside Higher ED
Welcome New and Renewing Members
City of Stephenville, TX; College of the Holy Cross, MA; Kent State University & City of Kent, OH; LINK Strategic Partners; Northern Virginia Community College, VA; Saginaw Valley State University & Kochville Township, MI; Town of Amherst, MA; Town of Normal, IL. To learn more about membership benefits, contact Susan@itga.org.
A growing and impressive group of professionals from campus communities continue to network and share strategies for improving town-gown relations. Join us on Twitter, LinkedInandInstagram.
