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Campus-Community Connections
The official newsletter of the International Town & Gown Association™ December 7, 2020
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Video Message from ITGA President Emily Allen
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Upcoming ITGA Webinar
Save the Date: January 6, 2021, Noon-1:00pm (ET).
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NEW Board Member Highlight: Meet Cooper Healey
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Cooper Healey, Manchester Student Homes, United Kingdom
As a returning board member, Cooper Healey continues to appreciate the “assistance, learning and leadership” that ITGA provides on town-gown issues. She joined ITGA initially to learn operational strategies from a U.S. perspective, which she used to augment her two decades of experience in the “student accommodation sector” in the United Kingdom. For 16 years Cooper has managed Manchester Student Homes on behalf of the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. With expertise in housing legislation, strategic and operational management, and facilitating partnerships, Cooper says her “unique insight” into the British educational system brings an important international perspective to ITGA. Housing and safety, community building and assisting colleagues “through unchartered territory” as they deal with COVID are among the board’s top priorities this year, she says. To contact Cooper, click here.
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Can a College Culture Actually Build its Resilience?
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Has something changed? Back when the pandemic was just dawning, I asked you all what makes for a resilient institution. The answers were mostly in the realm of the tangible, like a strong, secure, digital backbone; systems to help students obtain food and other basic needs; and effective, frequent communication with all constituencies. When I posed the question again a few weeks ago, the tone of your replies sounded different. They focused much less on policies and practicalities and were more attuned to institutional mind-set. When it comes to confronting a crisis, readers seem to be saying that culture can be a — if not the — make-or-break factor. Chronicle of Higher Education
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Housing, Transit, and Community Development
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Ontario: The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the third policy paper passed by OUSA’s Fall 2020 General Assembly, Housing, Transit, & Community Development. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to provide recommendations in response to the concerns that students face in their communities. "Students are often overlooked or underappreciated when it comes to municipal issues,” said Julia Pereira, Vice President University Affairs for the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union and OUSA President. "And while students face unique challenges, they also share experiences with their neighbours and offer a unique perspective that is important for developing solutions for stronger communities for everyone." The paper identifies a number of student concerns that impact their ability to live, work, and study safely and comfortably, and to develop positive relationships with their communities. To see the housing brief, click here.
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Grant to Help Lift Up West Virginia Communities
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WWU and West Virginia: Faculty and students in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design are leading an effort to help state communities overcome some obstacles — and thrive. Funded by a new two-year grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Fulcrum Project connects 20 communities with WVU teams to complete identified projects that will enhance local economies and the quality of life therein. WVU faculty and students were matched with projects in the communities that best fit their areas of expertise and interest: Projects include downtown revitalization, beautification, building redevelopment, trail development, wayfinding, and agricultural projects like farmers markets as well as growing business opportunities and community engagement activities to enhance economies and quality of life. The Independent Herald
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A Vision to Address a Community Challenge
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South Africa: It was a manifestation of what can happen when a handful of people with vision take the initiative to address a community challenge. Hermanus is a town of just under 50,000 people, surrounded by a number of smaller villages. A large percentage of the population is retired, including a significant number of academics, but there is also a growing level of poverty and unemployment, especially among young people. Theo Kleynhans of Sparklekids, William Ntebe of the Zwelihle Youth Café and Emeritus Professor John de Gruchy of the Volmoed Retreat Centre wanted to create a facility where local youngsters could obtain a tertiary education without leaving home, which would equip them with the skills to earn a decent living in their own environment. The model they planned to implement was simple: in partnership with several of the top universities in South Africa, Hermanus Varsity (HV) would present selected certified courses to local students. University World News
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Upcoming Events & Announcements
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Call for Proposals: Interested in presenting at the ITGA City & University Relations Conference, May 24-26, 2021? Visit our Call for Proposals page and view the conference tracks and details. Submissions are due on or before Friday, February 19, 2021.
Conference Registration is open! Register now for the Early Bird discounted rates. ITGA is offering a cost savings of a 50% reduction for those who register 3 or more from their institution or organization at the early rate.
Upcoming webinar: 12/10 2:00-3:00PM (EST) - The Urban Institute is hosting an upcoming event, "Protecting the "Third Place": The Pandemic's Impact on Commercial Corridors and How To Support Them.
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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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