The two most common mistakes that colleges and universities make dealing with surrounding communities is not understanding how to develop a meaningful relationship with them and not committing a sufficient amount of time and resources to build those relationships, says Beverly Wood, a senior planner who worked in campus planning and community relations positions at three U.S. universities before joining the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to work on the master plan for the U.S. Capitol.

"Successful town/gown relations begins with a true understanding of each perspective in the relationship and a commitment to work together to solve problems constructively," said Wood. "Proactive planning and relationship building can avert difficulties and lead to creative solutions that otherwise wouldn't emerge when crises appear."

Wood will lead a panel discussion on "town-gown," or community relations, issues, titled "On the Edge: The Dynamics of Town/Gown Relationships in Higher Education," during an audioconference on Friday, March 12, 2004, from 12:00 Noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The audioconference is sponsored by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).

Joining Wood are:
* Attorney Sheri Damon, a former real estate analyst for the University of California Santa Cruz who now works on land use, affordable housing, environmental compliance and civil litigation at the firm of Lombardo and Gilles in California;
* Mark Mitchell, president of the University Communities Caucus in the National League of Cities and a Tempe, Arizona councilman; and
* Thomas Gebhardt, director of personal safety and off-campus affairs, from the University of Albany, State University of New York, who has received recognition for his community relations work on behalf of the university with the City of Albany.

The cost is $145 US for SCUP members and $165 US for non-members. To register, go to http://www.scup.org/profdev/notravel/edge.html.

Related Link: SCUP's Effective Town/Gown Relationships Audioconference

For more information contact:

Susan Rogers
Society for College and University Planning
339 East Liberty, Suite 300
Ann Arbor
MI 48104
USA

Phone: (734) 998-7832
Fax: (734) 998-6532
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.scup.org