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Campus-Community Connections
The official newsletter of the International Town & Gown Association™ November 23, 2020
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College Campuses and Thanksgiving
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Experts worry that some of the hundreds of thousands of departing students will be “little ticking time bombs.” So what are colleges and universities doing to reduce the chances that those students might carry the coronavirus with them? Indiana University in Bloomington will open its weekly surveillance testing to all of the 42,000 students living on or near campus. But the testing will be voluntary for most. Pennsylvania State University will offer free exit tests. Tulane University in New Orleans will test undergraduates twice in the last week of class, including those living off-campus. in Massachusetts, Boston University has asked students not to leave campus, period, until Dec. 10, when classes end. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not issued guidance specific to holiday breaks for college students, though it has advised that “travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes Covid-19.” The New York Times
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NEW Board Member Highlight: Monica Chavez-Silva
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Monica Chavez-Silva, Grinnell College
A graduate of Harvard University, where she majored in psychology, Monica Chavez-Silva has been involved with ITGA for years and is eager to contribute during her first year on the board. She serves as assistant vice president for community enhancement at Grinnell College, a nationally ranked liberal arts college in the small town of Grinnell. Collective impact and diversity, equity and inclusion are among the areas where Monica seeks out professional development. That “continuous learning” and her listening skills will help her ensure “that ITGA is well-positioned to provide a valuable service for years to come.” One of the board’s biggest priorities in the coming year, she believes, is to help ITGA adapt to serving members — both people and institutions — who are facing new challenges. To contact Monica, click here.
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The International Town & Gown Association (ITGA) proved in 2020 — amid a global pandemic — that it could pivot from an in-person conference to a dynamic virtual experience. We’ll do that again in May 2021, taking you virtually to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a hopping, historic, artistic hotbed of a city with so many handles, it’s hard to grab onto just one:
Join our hosts, Marquette University and the city of Milwaukee, for the annual ITGA City & University Relations conference from May 24–26, 2021. Our theme — Innovating for Tomorrow, Together — will empower you with innovative ideas to keep your campus and communities both vital and safe as we navigate a changing landscape.
Best practices, peer-leading strategies plus networking — a key part of every ITGA conference — will equip you for the coming academic year. “ITGA is such a community-minded group of people,” one of our hundreds of members said at a recent webinar. “We’re all interested in learning from one another and enjoy the opportunity to engage.”
Three ways to engage now in the May 2021 conference:
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Register and qualify for the “early bird” rate.
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Submit a proposal. Share your own emerging and best practices.
- Encourage colleagues on your campus and in your community to attend together. Those end-of-the-day downloads are invaluable — and more fun!
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ITGA: Now, Hear My Point of View
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On Wednesday, November 11, 2020, ITGA held its second panel in their two-part Now, Hear My Point of View series. The conversation was hosted by Steve Patterson, Mayor of Athens, Ohio and included five other panelists from the US, the UK, and Canada. The student panelists talked about increased cases of COVID-19 on campuses, how universities are rolling back their already limited in-person instruction, the loss of student organizations and programs, and the toll that loss and isolation have been having on students'. Being a student myself, it was reassuring to hear the panelists discuss feeling many of the same emotions I have been experiencing. This series was something I, and many other students, connected with. To see the recording, click here. Laura Hobbs, Intern, DePaul University
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ITGA Roundtable Discussion: The UKTGA Approach
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On Wednesday, November 18, 2020, ITGA hosted the United Kingdom Town & Gown Association to discuss managing town-gown relations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation was moderated by Cooper Healey, Manager of Manchester Student Homes on behalf of the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University; and UKTGA Chair and ITGA Board Member. The panelists discussed best practices for managing town-gown relations during the pandemic, strategies for responding to off-campus communities, and ways they can look ahead and respond to new risks and challenges in the future. More specifically, students returning to universities, managing students living off-campus, COVID-19 regulations, and creating collaborative relationships between universities and their communities. To see the recording, click here. Laura Hobbs, Intern, DePaul University
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Student Peer-to-Peer Ambassador Outreach Program
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The University of Colorado Boulder and the Boulder Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (along with the Boulder Downtown partnership, The Hill Boulder, and The City of Boulder) have collaborated on a peer-to-peer ambassador program for Thursday – Saturday nights from 9pm – 11pm on The University Hill commercial district as well as Downtown Boulder. The program aims to provide positive messaging towards students in support of public health directives as well as collect important data on visitors to the selected area (such as masked vs. unmasked visitors). This new program officially launched on October 22nd. An important tool for the recruitment of ambassadors was utilizing the already established Neighborhood Ambassador program in the CU Off-Campus Housing & Neighborhood Relations Office, as well as combining funds from the Neighborhood Ambassador and Boulder Convention & Visitor’s Bureau ambassador programs to offer a more enticing hourly salary. University of Colorado Boulder
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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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