HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-02-2015 CLR Ashbaugh (2)is �
,( WClm°I VT- D
JUN 0 2 2015
of San Luis ®lei
COUNCIL MEETING: QUO"? IJ5
ITEM NO.:__aL� ft5ib 1Ar1AG
o — City Council
Council Liaison Report — Vice Mayor Ashbaugh
June 2, 2015
RE: Participation in the International Town Gown Association Conference, Washington, D.C.
Dear colleagues,
As you know, I joined a delegation of staff from our city to participate in the International Town
Gown Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The conference was held at George
Washington University, and officially got underway at 8:30 Monday with a ceremony where they
gave out three awards to colleges and towns that had developed noteworthy collaborations, including
the following:
Penn State and the community of State College, PA won a "Quality of Life" Award for their
"Campus Community Partnership Against Dangerous Drinking' program that has significantly
reduced drinking and partying behavior in that community on big football weekends. They got buy -in
from fraternities and local bars and taverns, and held alternative non - alcoholic events. A Task Force
composed of students, administrators, local government, local businesses, police and emergency
responders, and transportation all pulled together. One magic bullet: The City provided the bar
owners a compensation fund of $400,000.
The economic development award went to Oregon RAIN that involves a collaboration between OSU
Corvallis and OU Eugene. It's a regionally based non - profit that sounds much like our "Hot House" —
so far they've funded about 25 companies with $5 million in funding.
The ITGA Award for Campus and Community Development went to Xavier University in Cincinatti,
where a substantial 15 -acre block of land that fronted on an impoversished African American
community is being developed with a $55 million project that will result in a ndw health clinic, retail
frontage, and housing to substantially bolster the business and economic fortunes of this "rust- belt"
area.
In one of the morning sessions, I learned about Charleston College in downtown Charleston, S.C.
which was the first public institution of higher education in that state, founded in 1770. With 10,000
students, they have significant issues similar to SLO in terms of party behavior, parking impacts,
encroachment on residential neighbohoods, and balanced transportation. Their campus master plan
has resolved many of these issues through a long public engagement program and a series of public -
private partnerships that appear to be re- orienting the campus toward a more internally- focussed
community, while avoiding impacts on the historic neighborhoods that surround the campus.
In the final morning session, we learnd about an assessment tool developed by an OSU professor
entitled "Optimal College Town Assessment tool," which is available free at the web site,
www.collegetownassessment.com. This tool can be used to self - evaluate our community and campus
relationship to determine whether we are high - comfort, low -effort (Traditional), high effort, low
comfort (Conflicted), Low - effort, low comfort (Devitalized) or — where one would want to be — High
effort, high comfort (Harmonious). I began to take the evaluation but only got about 1/3 through; my
impressions are that we are "Conflicted" (high effort, low comfort).
In the afternoon, our SLO delegation gave its presentation on Neighorhood Wellness, which drew a
capacity crowd and generated very positive remarks. Credit goes to Derek Johnson, Keith Humphreys
of Cal Poly, and Anthony Gutierrez of Cuesta College. We also had in attendance Christine Wallace
of SLOP D as well as Rusty and Michelle Hall of the Alta Vista Neighborhood Association.
In the late afternoon our keynote speaker was Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President and Chief of
Staff to the First Lady Michelle Obama, who spoke about sexual assaults on college campuses all
over the nation. Ms. Tchen discussed "It's On Us," the campus sexual assault awareness and
prevention campaign launched by the White House. The campaign is unique in that it shifts the
preventive focus from victims and perpetrators to the entire community, reminding students to be
protective of and responsible for one another. This effort will support student -led efforts already
underway across the country, and will focus particularly on motivating college men to get involved.
Within the Obama Administration, Ms. Tchen also serves as the Executive Director for the Council
on Women and Girls and the past Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
The 300 attendees from campus communities across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia were also
treated to a reception at the Capitol Monday evening. The San Luis Obispo contingent were delighted
to be joined by Congresswoman Lois Capps, and to my knowledge Mrs. Capps is the only Member of
Congress who participated in the event.
We hope to be able to host a West Coast version of this conference in the not - too - distant future,
depending on what facilities might be available within Cal Poly and the community during the time
frame for the conference (typically the first Monday — Wednesday of June). It is well worth attending.