Keep up to date with news of current Town-Gown relationships in action!
Town and gown tensions date back to the Middle Ages, when medieval universities first encroached on their host communities, which pushed back. The current discord — over enrollment growth, housing and whose rights are paramount — suggests little has changed over the centuries except the cash at stake: millions of dollars. Billions in Stanford’s case.
As economies in some US and international communities continue to struggle or reinvent themselves, the ITGA is calling for new collaborations that reflect shared interest and immediate needs. Successful town-gown strategies are needed to stabilize and enhance town-gown economies and quality of life.
The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) represents the interests of approximately 150,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations across Ontario. In this year’s publication, students highlight successes and challenges in their municipalities, with themes ranging from improving the ability of students to advocate municipally and providing work-integrated learning opportunities, to addressing housing issues and unsanctioned street gatherings, as well as highlighting the importance of cultural development.
“It’s a university town with a high density of young people so you are going to get parties. I think we’ve managed to reduce the risk factor,” said Woolf.
Western University students might start facing academic penalties for misconduct at unsanctioned events, like illegal street parties. A report going before the school’s Board of Governors on Thursday suggests expanding the student code of conduct to include events that aren’t sanctioned by Western University but are indirectly associated with the institution because of their nature or the number of students attending. The current code, which governs the behaviour of registered students, applies to conduct on university premises and at university-sponsored events.