Each year the ITGA recognizes members who work to-ward improving the quality of life in campus commu-nities. This is an opportunity of university and college professionals, city or county officials and staff, commu-nity leaders or students to receive recognition for the work that they do to improve town-gown communities. The Larry  Abernathy Award : The LAA is in honor of the Mayor of the City of Clemson. Remembering his deep appreciation for collaboration between the City, University and Stu-dents, this award is presented annually at the ITGA Conference. The ITGA  Presidential Excellence Award was created as a way to highlight ITGA members who demonstrate exceptional performance in one of the following areas: Leadership, Educational Achievement or Volunteer Service. The awards go to leaders who best represent the mission of the ITGA. Submit your nominations on or before April 3. To learn more, click here.  

Community Impact, by Brett Thorne

My Ride TX will launch this weekend, offering trans-portation services within the city of San Marcos. The ride-hailing company, which provides a service similar to that of Uber and Lyft, received a permit to operate the business in the city of San Marcos from City Council in 2016. "We're going to target some other small towns that have colleges: San Angelo, Victoria, then eventu-ally San Antonio, Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth," Managing Partner Steve Wright said. Steve Wright co-owns the company with Donna Coyne and his son, Evan. San Marcos is an ideal location to launch the business, Evan said. "It's a college town. There's a dense population of bars in one little area," he said. "There's a centralized party district." Steve said My Ride TX is aiming to ensure it is "overly compliant" with rules governing trans-portation networking companies, or TNCS, such as Uber and Lyft. 

Metro News, by Gilbert Ngabo

Terry McQuaid is the executive director of the newly created centre for sexual assault prevention and sup-port at the University of Toronto. Terry McQuaid has one bold vision for the University of Toronto's Future. "I want to help create a campus where everyone knows this is a safe place and sexual assault is not tolerated no matter what your status is," said the university's executive director of personal  safety, high risk, sexual violence prevention and support. She's been hired to oversee the newly created tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre. The office is a key part of the university's policy, launched earlier this year, to combat sexual violence and harassment. Efforts are underway to recruit co-ordinators on each campus. This is about making sure victims have a place to feel safe about disclosing an uncomfortable experience."  

Memphis Daily News, by Bill Dries

The railroad tracks between Highland Avenue and Zach Curlin Drive have been a fact of life and a border of sorts for as long as there has been a University of Memphis. But university president David Rudd says the boarders are changing for the campus and what lies beyond it. "We don't have the capacity to house the number of students we need to," Rudd said. Rudd counts 2,400 students who live on the campus in university residence halls, that is out of a student enrollment of 22,000 for an institution long known as a commuter school. With a tax increment finance district in the sur-rounding University Neighborhood District, Rudd said private residential and supporting retail development is coming online. The university recently un-veiled plans for a land pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks. "It's not a simple thing, but it is transformational," Rudd said. 

Purdue University, by Lindsay Perrault

While Purdue students emerge after graduation as experts on their campus community, many have little knowledge about the areas surrounding their university. But what if a class could change that mind-set? Could an education about community, improve that commu-nity? Professor Llana Stonebraker argues yes. She devised an Honors College course, Making Greater Lafayette Greater, around those themes. "I want to introduce students to the City of Lafayette, so they actually go there," Stonebraker explained. Purdue Community Relations Director Mike Piggott says over the years the Wabash River has become a border students are reluctant to cross. "A number of people, including many of us at Purdue, are working to make the river a zipper to bring students and local residents together," he said. Stonebraker's research focuses mainly on business, finance and economics, but her vision transcends marketing and bottom lines. 

CBC News, by Liam Casey

Top officials from an Ontario university took the unusual step of going door-to-door at campus residences three nights last week to check on the mental health of stu-dents. It has been a trying time at the University of Guelph, where four students have killed themselves since the academic year began last fall, with the latest suicide occurring in January. Two of those deaths oc-curred in campus residences, where the vast majority of first-year students live. In the aftermath of the suicides, the university's Residence Life team, which runs the school's on-campus housing, decided to dust off an old pro-gram in which faculty members join their staff, go door-to-door to check on student's health and hand out information on various supports available. The school's president, Franco Vaccarino, and provost Charlotte Yates, were among the 80 people who knocked on doors this week.   

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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.