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Campus-Community Connections
The official newsletter of the International Town & Gown Association™ March 8, 2021
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Davis Town-Gown Relationship Earns National Acclaim |
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City of Davis: During the summer of 2018, the relationship between the city of Davis and UC Davis seemed to have reached a nadir, complete with threats of litigation. But before it could come to that, all sides — the city, county and university — entered into confidential mediation, and in less than two months, had reached a legally binding MOU that satisfied the concerns of the city and county. Steps were also taken to ensure better cooperation and understanding going forward, including adopting UC Davis Chancellor Gary May’s suggestions for annual “town-gown” meetings and more frequent meetings of city and campus staff. Fast forward to last week and a virtual town-gown meeting that brought together May and other UC Davis staff, the full Davis City Council and county supervisors who represent the city of Davis. Absent was any conflict; rather it was an evening with almost a celebratory hint as participants looked back on a year that solidified the town-gown relationship. Davis Enterprise
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Nominate the Best for the 2021 ITGA Awards |
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ITGA is now accepting nominations for the Presidential Excellence Award and the Larry Abernathy Award. These awards highlight extraordinary accomplishments of ITGA members. Recipients of the awards will be recognized at the 2021 virtual ITGA City & University Relations Conference in May. Submissions are due Monday, April 19. To see past submissions and distinguished recipients of the awards, click here.
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Building Town and Gown Relationships in the UK |
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UKTGA: Encouraged by my Head of Operations, I originally joined UK Town and Gown Association (UKTGA) shortly after joining Unite Students in 2016. I didn’t know too much about it before getting involved, but it quickly became clear how important it was to be a part of it. Accommodation is a hugely important part of establishing positive town and gown relationships; it can be a source of friction between students and local residents, and students are also affected by local issues - for example, crime. As I became more involved, I saw that UKTGA worked hard to equip, empower and enable a diverse network of professionals from universities, student accommodation providers and the cities they operate in, furthering community engagement in doing so. Being a part of this network has helped me to understand the intricacies of town and gown relationships across the UK, and realise that without establishing real partnerships with both universities and city services, it can be difficult to navigate the world of student accommodation. Unite Students
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Upcoming Webinars and Networking Opportunities |
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Since COVID-19 changed our ways of working, and our worlds, ITGA has pivoted to host online webinars and seminars to ramp up our professional connections and networking opportunities. Registration is open for the webinar and networking opportunities below:
March 11, 4:00 pm (EST): Small Towns/Small Colleges Affinity Group. Click here to register.
March 26, 12:00 pm (EST): Town Gown Turn Around - Round Table. Click here to register.
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2021 Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking |
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Registration for the 2021 Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking cycle is officially open! This means colleges and universities can now register to receive a $750 planning stipend. Check out the Communities Talk Tips and Resources section for planning tools, recommendations on how to organize your activity, and ideas for different activity formats (including virtual options). If you would like to host an event anytime before the end of calendar year 2021 and receive a planning stipend, please email info@stopalcoholabuse.net with your contact information and campus affiliation. A Quick Start Planning Guide and the Stipend FAQs furnish more information about how the planning stipends can be used to support your underage drinking prevention efforts. SAMSHA 2021 Communities Talk Program
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Many of you may be looking for ways to contribute to work on combating the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery. We are writing to share an opportunity to do just that. Census Open Innovation Labs (COIL) is collaborating with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on TOPx, a virtual technology development sprint focused on creating digital tools that support collecting and reporting COVID-19 testing data. Stakeholders such as employers, universities, schools, hospitals, state/local/tribal health agencies, test manufacturers, insurers and labs are needed in particular, but any stakeholders are invited to get involved and share your perspective with the tech teams on key on-the-ground needs and challenges. Participation is very lightweight. RSVP to join the virtual technology demos on March 9th and/or April 1st. If you’d like to be more involved, you can join a Slack channel to work directly with the teams, and volunteer to connect with them individually. Contact the Opportunity Project team for questions.
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Opinion: PSE Communities Need Time to Grieve |
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While postsecondary institutions are eager to go back to in-person classes in the fall semester, they should also take time to grieve what has been lost and what campus community members have been through, writes Beth McMurtrie. The author explains that pushing aside the realities of the last year in order to quickly go back to normal can force people to move on without processing their experiences. McMurtie writes that the postsecondary community needs time to talk about their last year, acknowledge the changes, and consider what lessons can be applied to their future work. Speaking about what has been lost and how the future might be different is critical to allow postsecondary communities to grieve. The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Academia Group
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Open Nominations for Board of Directors |
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We need you! As a member of ITGA, you have the privilege of nominating yourself or another member to serve on the ITGA Board of Directors. We are seeking dynamic professionals who want to take a more active role in ITGA by serving in a leadership position. This organization is only as good as its members and the talents they bring to the leadership team will help shape the organization for the future. Board of Director roles and responsibilities include attending quarterly meetings, serving on a committee, and acting as an ambassador for the organization. The time commitment varies depending on your level of involvement. The openings are for two or three year terms, beginning July 1, 2021. This leadership role offers you the opportunity to expand your professional network and to help advance the organization. If interested, click here to learn more. Feel free to contact Beth@itga.org if you have any questions.
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ITGA News & Announcements |
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Registration: The ITGA 2021 Virtual City & University Relations Conference registration is open. To learn more about the conference or register, click here.
Sponsorship: Interested in being a conference sponsor? We welcome sponsors wishing to support strong town-gown relationships while showcasing their services and products and interacting with hundreds of campus-community stakeholders from the UK, Canada, the US and beyond. Learn more.
Contact Susan@itga.org to discuss conference registration or sponsorship opportunities. Be sure to ask about the special group rates.
Starting next week, the ITGA Newsletter is scheduled to go out each Thursday.
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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, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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