Sunnyvale University:

Town/Gown Relations and Community

OutreachUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln

M.A. Higher Education Administration, Specialization in Student AffairsAshley Svare, Kriston Burroughs, Luke Bretscher

Objectives

• Create a plan to foster a positive town-gown relationshipo The "issue of expansion has negative implications.

Growing universities needed more physical space, and a build-up environment" (Mayfield, L., 2001, p. 235).

• Select the key players to address the issue and determine principle decision makers

• Establish short- and long-term solutions

• Theory --> Practice

Key Players• The Assembled Team

o Dean of Students (our position), Director of Residence Life, Director of Student Activities, and the Deputy Mayor

• Faculty

• Mid-Level Professionals

• Senior-Level Administrators

• Students

• Mayor

• City Council

Issues to Consider

• City Regulations

• Past Relations with the community

• Institutional and community stakeholders

Principal Decision Makers

• Already engaged facultyA key to getting more faculty involved is to find members that are already active in the community. Those pre-existing relationships will engender fewer barriers for those trying to start new community initiatives (Marquez Kiyama, Lee, & Rhoades, 2012).

• Mid-Level Professionals

• Senior-Level Administrators

• Student Representatives

Course of Action: Short-Term

• Empower Students: student government, res. life, student involvement, center for civic engagement

• Social Media

• Parent Association

• Local school system

• Office of Civic Engagement

Empower Students

• Work with student groups: student government, res. life, student involvement

• Facilitate discussions about the topic.

• Encourage Ethical and moral development

Course of Action: Long-Term

• Institutional staff involvement

• Partner with institutions close by

• Campus Ecology: Environmental Influences

• Scholarship/Awards- “Franco’s List”

• Create an annual "Sunnyvale Service Day"

Institutional Partnerships

• Develop relationships with local community colleges and other nearby institutions.

• Host joint events with other universities.

• Create joint service events in the community.

• Work as a team to apply for grants to improve community.

Campus Ecology

• Consult with design firms to create a Campus Master Plan

• Consult and collaborate with students and community leaders to provide input on how to make campus inclusiveo Another avenue to utilize social media for

feedback from the general community and campus community.

Responsibilities How will all this come together?

City Council and MayorAssign City Councilor as liaison to Mayor/City Council

and Civic Engagement staff memberUniversity

Dean of StudentRecruit faculty and staff

Center for Civic EngagementExecute short- and long-term plans

ResourcesFunding

ConclusionSocial media will also be utilized throughout this

process, by the institution, community, and students

By outlining both short- and long-term plans, Sunnyvale commits to making the town/gown relationship a priority for the institution.

Collaborations will be essential moving through this process

ReferencesBoehm, A. (2010). University involvement in social planning: Perspectives of community institutions and universities. Journal of

Higher Education Policy and Management, 32(1), 97-109. doi: 10.1080/13600800903440584

Evans, N. J., Fourney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010).Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice (Second ed.). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.

Gilligan, C. (1985). In a different voice: Women's conceptions of self and of morality. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2011). The nature and uses of theory. In Schuh, J. H., Jones, S. R., Harper, S. R., and Associates (2011). Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Marquez Kiyama, J., Lee, J., & Rhoades, G. (2012). A critical agency network model for building an integrated outreach program. The Journal of Higher Education, 83(2), 276-303. doi: 10.1353/jhe.2012.0009

Mayfield, L. (2001). Town and gown in America: Some historical and institutional issues of the engaged university. Education for Health, 14(2), 231-240. doi: 10/1080/13576280110056609

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