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Campus-Community Connections
The official newsletter of the International Town & Gown Association™ March 1, 2021
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Call for 2021 ITGA Board Of Director Nominations
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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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A Tale of Two Small Colleges in a Rural Town
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Jacksonville, ILL: In the strangeness of 2020 and the new year, these two schools stand as potential outcomes for more than 90 small colleges in Michigan and the rest of the Midwest. Illinois College is one of the fastest growing, with enrollment having picked up 30% in the last decade. MacMurray College is closed and a land-auction in mid-November broke up the campus. The lessons offered by the schools seem simple, but are complex and hard to implement: A robust savings account lets storms be weathered and risks to be taken; skimping on campus maintenance not only will lead to bigger repair bills, but also make it hard to recruit; a defined vision for the entire operation from administration to faculty is key for survival. "You have to have a clear long-term strategy," said former MacMurray Vice President for Academic Affairs David Fitz. "I'm not sure the college ever did that well. We moved from crisis to crisis and managed well, until we couldn't and then it had to close." Detroit Free Press
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Nominate the Best for the 2021 ITGA Awards
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Each year, ITGA recognizes members that work toward improving the quality of life in campus communities. The ITGA Presidential Excellence Award is presented to a member that demonstrates exceptional performance in one of the following areas: Volunteer Service, Leadership, or Educational Achievement. The Larry Abernathy Award is presented to a City, University and/or University student that best represents the mission of the ITGA. 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. Send questions to Beth@itga.org.
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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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Students Introduce Neighborhood Rescue Program
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Washington, DC: Georgetown University students are working to combat food insecurity within the university community by implementing a new program to provide resources to graduate and undergraduate students living in the Washington, D.C. area amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Students Advancing Food Equity, an undergraduate student group seeking to alleviate food insecurity in the Georgetown community, launched the Georgetown Neighborhood Food Rescue Service on Feb. 16. The program allows any graduate or undergraduate student living on or off campus to request a food delivery from SAFE. Food is collected from local restaurants and businesses that have excess products, according to Madison Dyer (NHS ’22), president of SAFE. The Hoya
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How Universities Support local Communities
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The United Kingdom: The pandemic has provided an urgent lesson in the value of cooperation and partnership. The state, the private sector and voluntary groups all rely on the success of the others to prosper. Collaboration will be more important than ever as we begin to focus on recovery over the coming years. This will be crucial, in particular, when it comes to helping local areas most affected by economic disruption and loss of jobs. The question is where the impetus for this collaboration will come from, in what form and when. The University of Bradford has been in contact with 10,000 regional small and medium-sized businesses about their experiences since last summer, finding out more about the local environment for doing business. Carrying out research like this is one way the university is taking a central role in helping the city recover and move forward. Across the UK, universities have found ways to help businesses and communities with recovery. The Conversation
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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.
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New & Renewing ITGA Members
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City of Bridgewater & Bridgewater State University; City of Tempe & Arizona State University; City of Tucson & University of Arizona; DePaul University; Florida Atlantic University, George Mason University; Humboldt State University; planning NEXT; Union College; University of North Dakota, University of Pennsylvania; Village of Brockport & College at Brockport SUNY; West Chester University of Pennsylvania. To about membership benefits, click here or contact Susan@itga.org.
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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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