Conference Proceedings

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM
(CN001) Town & Gown Relationships: Forging Partnerships for Mutual Prosperity
Presented by: Kim Griffo, Executive Director , International Town and Gown Association (ITGA)

Over twenty-five years ago, the mayor of Clemson and the president of Clemson University met to discuss conflicts creating tension between the college and town.  Their discussion led to the creation of the Clemson Joint City University Committee.  Since the creation of this committee and the adoption of the One Clemson philosophy, both the campus and greater community have flourished.  The city and university have spent less time addressing negative issues and conflict and spent more time identifying, encouraging and nurturing partnership opportunities between the two organizations and with other local community partners.  Several examples of this partnership will be shared with the audience including an award-winning transit system, an area sports council that has driven local economic development, and an exciting new pedestrian safety improvement project that will change the face of the highway that stitches together town and gown.  Improving the Clemson town-gown relationship and reaching #1 for town-gown relations according to The Princeton Review was just the beginning.  The City of Clemson and Clemson University were instrumental in the creation of the International Town & Gown Association (ITGA), a growing non-profit organization of over 200 university, municipal, and corporate members seeking to promote best practices in developing town-gown relationships.  The ITGA serves as the global link bringing together practitioners from varying fields to address the immediate issues and future opportunities facing university communities. 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 11:15 AM–12:15 PM
(CN005) Town Gown Relations in the 21st Century
Presented by: Eugene Trani, President Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Trani's focus on the importance of universities as economic engines was a fundamental tenet of his nearly twenty-year presidency of Virginia Commonwealth University.   Dr. Trani's insights into universities and communities as partners in economic development and community engagement are shared in his book, "The Indispensable University", which he will discuss at  the conference. 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12:15 PM–1:15 PM
(CN002) Lunch Presentation: Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) - A Public/Private Partnership for Success
Presented by: Mike Davis, Associate Director of Facilities Planning & Management, Clemson University; Michael J. Kerski, Economic Development Manager, City of Greenville

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is an advanced-technology research campus where academia, industry and government engage in synergistic collaboration. With more than $230 million in commitments, CU-ICAR represents the ultimate public/private partnership, directly fueling a knowledge base critical to the automotive industry. Clemson is also home to the new Center for Emerging Technologies in Clean Energy and Mobility (CET). CET was the result of a $3 million Economic Development Administration Grant received from the Federal Department of Commerce for this new multi-tenant building. CU-ICAR is at the center of a regional economic development approach by the university, city and county government, and area economic development agencies – all working together to bring jobs and investment to the region. The presentation will provide a development and programmatic overview of CU-ICAR.  Following the overview will be a discussion of the strengths and challenges of public/private/university partnerships and the significant roles played by each in the success of the project.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 1:15 PM–2:15 PM
(CN003) The University of Georgia: Success in Public/Private Partnerships
Presented by: C. Patrick Allen, Director of Community Relations, University of Georgia; Bob Snipes, Deputy Manager, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 2:30 PM–3:30 PM
(CN004) UNC Charlotte: Redefining its Future and Engaging the Community
Presented by: Peter Franz, Director, Real Estate & Land Use, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Owen J Furuseth, Associate Provost, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

In 2008, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte applied for and was awarded the Carnegie Foundation’s prestigious “community engagement” campus classification.  More than 155,000 residents live in the "University City" (UC) surrounding campus and it is the second largest employment node in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The UC is also demographically the most diverse residential district in the city.  This presentation focuses on two key elements that illustrate UNC-Charlotte’s commitment to connecting and building collaborations with the community. The first is the focus on campus planning. The new campus master plan actively pursues physical connectedness to the UC and center city Charlotte. The newly created Real Estate and Land Use Department is developing a strategic approach to addressing growth that benefits the campus community. The second component is programmatic, with specific discussion of university-wide activities to create reciprocal partnerships between faculty, staff, and students and community organizations and entities. The university’s involvement with Crossroads Charlotte, a community-wide program to build an inclusive and equitable future for Charlotte, is highlighted. Over the past six years, Crossroads themes and activities have been embedded within curriculum, service learning, faculty research, and campus life.