From limited resources to off-campus housing challenges, the issues that define the relationships between universities and their host communities (commonly referred to as “Town-Gown” relations) are increasingly playing an important role in local economies and overall quality of life.
This summer, June 1-4, the City of Clemson and Clemson University will host the International Town & Gown Association (ITGA) annual conference to share leading practices, panel discussions, and networking opportunities on these types of issues to representatives from across the globe.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Back to the Future: Sharing a Unified Town-Gown Vision.” The conference offers reduced rates for Clemson faculty, staff and community members. Click here to register at the reduced rate.
Full-time Clemson students can also take advantage of reduced conference rates. Students should contact ITGA Executive Director Beth Bagwell to register.
ITGA, founded in 2008 by the City of Clemson and Clemson University, will bring more than 200 university, municipal and community stakeholders to the conference to discuss issues common to university communities: community relations and off-campus housing, economic development and community partnerships, sustainability and research-based practices.
This year’s presenters represent more than 60 organizations across the U.S. and British Columbia.
Keynote speakers for the conference include Jim Hunt, former President of the National League of Cities and founder of Amazing Cities; Dr. Thomas Workman, Principal Communication Researcher and Evaluator of the American Institutes of Research; and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Business & Behavioral Science; and Linda Cooke, presiding judge for the Boulder Colorado Municipal Court.
“More than ever, town-gown issues are front and center in communities across the globe,” said Jim Fitzgerald, ITGA President and Associate Director of Community Relations for the University of Virginia. “A significant component in responding to these issues is the forging of strong partnerships, both locally and nationally. ITGA’s annual conference provides a valuable platform for the sharing of information and for the development of these partnerships.”
For more information, visit at www.itgau.org/2014conference.
