International Town & Gown Association 
College Town Newsletter

August 24, 2017
Welcome to Dateline, a weekly newsletter
highlighting college town news around the world
In This Issue
Mayor to Mayor: Ithaca Mayor Shares What Works in His City With Burlington Mayor
MyChamplainValley, by Alexandra Leslie
From Cayuga to Lake Champlain, nearly 300 miles separate Ithaca, NY and Burlington, VT. While there is a lot of distance, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick says both cities are similar. Both Ithaca and Burlington are college towns, and both have undergone construction in their respective downtowns. Myrick was in town to give some insight on some of the ways his city survived an overhaul on its Downtown Commons. Myrick says Ithaca's downtown revitalization was successful because of lower taxes and "making the city more livable, more walkable, and a more interesting place to be." "Much like Burlington...it's beautiful to be here and we've leaned into tourism, particularly agro-tourism, as the wineries expand, we create incentives for breweries and distilleries to expand in our community. In regards to keeping his downtown safe amidst an opiate crisis, Myrick says Ithaca has borrowed from Burlington a model of street outreach workers. 
Scavenger Hunt Helps International Students Discover Downtown BG
BG Independent News, by David Dupont
Students from around the world got a chance to explore Bowling Green Wednesday afternoon. The international students from BGSU came from many countries-France, Taiwan, China, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, just to name a few. A scavenger hunt organized by the Four Corners Center had them searching out all the treasures they could find in the downtown. That included coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops, and even the farmers market. Director of International Programs and Partnerships, Marcia Salazar-Valentine, said the idea was to introduce  students, all of whom had just arrived to BGSU, to the downtown, and to introduce downtown businesses to the students. Wendy Chambers, director of the Wood County Convention Visitors Bureau, said the group would be interested in expanding the scavenger hunt to all first-year students.  
More People are Moving to College Park-and They're Staying
The Diamondback, by Jack Roscoe
More people are moving to and staying in College Park, according to a report the College Park City-University Partnership released August 7th. The homeownership program's annual report charts the progress of the 2015 initiative, which is designed to increase the number of University of Maryland and city employees living in College Park. This would reduce commutes, strengthen neighborhoods and support the local economy, according to the CPCUP website. Eric Olson, CPCUP executive director, said the program was "on target" during its second year. The city saw 27 new residents, including 15 university employees, come to College Park between July 2016 and June 2017, resulting in about $7.9 million in home sales. Valerie  Woodall, CPCUP senior program associate, said the number of homeowners biking, walking or using public transit gives a "huge boost" to city sustainability. 
Report on the Second Annual Ohio Town Gown Summit
Town-Gown Nation News
Town-Gown Summit, by Kate Rousmaniere
The second annual Summit was held in Oxford, Ohio, in partnership with Miami University, on July 27-28. This year's summit attracted 134 attendees from city and university staff and community members from both large and small cities and institutions all across Ohio and two participants from Michigan. The morning sessions were thematic; and in the afternoon, we separated into three break-out groups to discuss the challenges of high risk alcohol consumption.  The day ended with a state-wide "call to action;" a commitment to work together to identify ways to more effectively battle alcohol misuse in Ohio college towns. A reception at Miami University President and Dr. Crawford's home followed, and then dinner circles in Oxford restaurants. The Summit concluded with a terrific town-gown bus tour of Oxford-Miami, led by Dean of Students Mike Curme. Bowling Green and Bowling Green State University will host next year's summit.  
U.S.C. Expands in a 'Neglected' Neighborhood, Promising Jobs and More 
The New York Times, by Lauren Herstik
When the University of Southern California's campus extension opens in South Los Angeles, it will not just welcome 2,700 new college students. It will also be an ambitious test of a public-private partnership hoping to remake a historically underserved neighborhood. The $700 million USC Village is a sprawling addition to the university, extending across 15 acres as part of the school's efforts to expand the availability of student housing and increase the amount of academic space it has. The university broke ground on the project in September 2014, part of a $6 billion campaign to bolster its endowment, scholarships, research funds and overall investment. The project's scale is enormous, adding three million square feet of student housing, retail, academic and green space. The project also brings together one of California's poorest areas and one of its wealthiest universities. 
#YouAreWelcomeHere
Inside Higher Ed, by Elizabeth Redden
Eastern Michigan University is going all out to recognize its international students. The university is installing 108 banners featuring 108 students from more than 40 countries. The banners, which are being installed on light posts across the campus and into the surrounding city of Ypsilanti. "#YouAreWelcomeHere" is a national campaign by that name to communicate American universities' openness to international students. "The overall message of being a welcoming environment of international students has just been received very positively," said Walter Kraft, Eastern Michigan's vice president for communications. The university has also created a video as part pf the campaign. More than 250 colleges and universities have joined the national #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign, which is coordinated  out of Temple University. A similar campaign in the U.K., #WeAreInternational, has the support of more than 160 universities there. 
Join Us On Twitter and LinkedIn
A growing and impressive group of professionals from campus communities across the globe continue to network and share strategies for improving town and gown relations. Join us on Twitter and LinkedIn.  
The ITGA strengthens town and gown partnerships by providing a network of professionals and resources, identifying and sharing leading practices, innovative solutions and professional development opportunities for municipal and university communities. 
To learn more about the ITGA and/or discuss partnership opportunities, contact Beth@itga.org
ITGA News and Announcements 
Free Webinar
Strengthening Campus & Community Collaboration to Address Student Health & Safety
Sept. 12, 2:00-3:00 (ET)

Visit us at www.itga.org.
Welcome New and Renewing Members
City of Whitewater & University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Ohio University

The DLR Group
Join Our Mailing List