Team Leader: Sara Dam Warren Grove Emily Isaacs Bob Just Western Illinois University

Sunnyvale UniversityStudentAffairs.com 2013 Case Study Competition

Addressing Town and Gown Relations

Team Leader: Sara DamWarren GroveEmily Isaacs

Bob Just

Western Illinois University Sunnyvale University

What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

What We Know

Sunnyvale University

What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

• Located in quaint New England town• Late night parties have disrupted the genteel fabric of the community• Roaming groups of students have been an unending nuisance during

the weekend• School has expanded into the community proper• Town “under siege” by students and alumni during Sestercentennial

celebration• Founded in the mid-1800’s• New buildings constructed to relieve housing crunch • Some graduate programs now located in city center• Articles in local and school newspapers have been published about

town/gown problems• Entering spring time of year (snow melting and people throwing

Frisbees)• Students informed via email about the strained relationship • Conversations regarding town/gown have been taking place between

the Mayor and his people, the President of the University, and members of the board

• No well-outlined previous strategy in place incorporating the school and the community

What We Are Missing


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

• Institution’s Carnegie Classification• Student and town demographics• Number of students living on/off campus• Enrollment size of Institution• Meaning of “under siege” & “nuisance” • Community thoughts on school expansion• What kind of University-sponsored weekend events exist for

students?• What kind of social medial efforts are already in place around

campus and the community (who is operating them?)• Alumni relations (Is there an office or department? Is there ongoing

communication with alumni?)• Student, University, and community expectations of one another• Budget position of the University to fund special projects • What areas of town are most heavily impacted by late night parties?• The University’s mission and vision • Content from the newspaper articles • What was discussed in the University Senate meetings?• Any underlying community and student issues that are exacerbating

the town and gown relationship

Key Assumptions


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

• Students are between the ages of 18-24 (traditional age)

• Private institution

• Majority of students live on-campus

• Alumni have a presence in the community and University

• Students are reckless in their weekend drinking habits

• Students and alumni (in particular, student leaders) have not been involved in the conversation in the past about how to tend to town and gown relations

• Norms and culture of students have been established since they are about ¾ done with the academic year (semester system)

• Students are not a “nuisance” during the weekdays

• Sestercentennial celebration was a tipping point in the town and gown relations

• Parent-Teacher Association, Small Business Owner Association, and VFW/Lion’s Club/Rotary club exist in the town

Philosophy


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• In an effort to be intentional about how we address the growing strain of the town and gown relations we would like you to consider how relevant student affairs literature is essential to the outcome of our plan.

• Our approach integrates Robert Kegan’s orders of consciousness and three dimensions of meaning making, Kolb’s Learning Cycle, and relevant literature produced by Margaret Wheatley.

"It doesn't matter how brilliant or correct the plan is, it simply doesn't work to ask people to sign on when they haven't been involved in the planning process.”

- Wheatley, 2006, p.68

Philosophy


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Commission

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Concrete Experience

Reflective Observation

Abstract Hypothesis

Active Testing

The premise of the Learning Cycle is that learning is an experiential process. It requires that people participate in the environment around them, actively.

• Concrete Experience– The experience of the

environment around them• Reflective Observation

– Thinking about their experience

• Abstract Hypothesis– Constructing a(n) idea(s)

based on their reflective observation

• Active Testing– Taking the idea and

incorporating that/those idea(s) into action

Evans et. all, 2010; Zull, 2002

Kolb’s Learning Cycle

Philosophy


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Meaning-Making

Cognitive

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Kegan (1994) posits that the way in which we all make meaning can be understood through three dimensions:

• Cognitive– How we know what we know

• Interpersonal – How we see ourselves in

relation to others

• Intrapersonal– The integration of our values

and beliefs with sense of self

Kegan’s Dimensions of Meaning-Making

Kegan, 1994

Philosophy


What We Know

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Philosophy

Commission

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Learning Partnerships Model

The Learning Partnerships Model is a product of a 17-year longitudinal study done by Marcia Baxter Magolda (2004) on young adults’ learning and development. It is a model designed to promote self-authorship. • Validate learners’ capacity to know

– How are participants invited to share their opinions and/or perspectives?

• Portray knowledge as complex and socially constructed– How are multiple

perspectives/interpretations shared or ambigous answers to questions shared?

• Situate learning in the learner’s experience– How is the participant’s existing

knowledge & experience used as the basis for understanding what is it they are trying to learn?

• Self is central to the knowledge construction– How are participants asked to define

themselves and bring this to their way of learning, work, and relationships?

• Define learning as mutually constructing meaning– How does the process share knowledge

construction with participants as equal partners?

• Share authority and expertise– How is the process empowering

participants to learn interdependence as opposed to dependence or independence?Baxter-Magolda, 2004

Commission


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We have developed a standing committee with the sole task of promoting positive relations between the New England town and Sunnyvale University.

Mission Statement

The Community Relations Commission strives to foster positive, communicative, and engaging relations between Sunnyvale

University and its neighboring communities by cultivating collaborative, trusting relationships.

Purpose

This commission will focus on strengthening the relationship between the town and University by utilizing social media to gathering feedback from stakeholders within each community, assess the relationship between the two, create learning outcomes to shape potential solutions, and develop temporary solutions, long-term solutions, and continued relations.

Commission


What We Know

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Philosophy

Commission

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In order to encourage collaboration and promote ownership between as many voices within the greater community as possible, a variety of people are recommended to serve on the commission:

PTA Representative Town Council Representative Student Government President Director of Residence LifeResidence Hall Association President Director of Student Activities

Panhellenic Council President Deputy MayorInterfraternity Council President Mayor United Greek Council President Rotary/Lions ClubProgramming Board PresidentSmall Business Owner’s Association liaison “We know that the best way to create ownership is to have those responsible for implementation develop the plan for themselves. No one is successful if they merely present a plan in finished form

to others” (Wheatley, 2006, p. 68).

Clemson University, 2013

Use of #SocialMediaCommission’s Public

Facebook Page• Allows students and other community

members to post comments, questions, feedback, and concerns that will be addressed in future commission meetings

• Commission members can spread information about upcoming events

• Promotes community building by allowing people to post positive thoughts and photos

• Keeps others outside of the commission informed by posting the commission’s meeting minutes on Facebook

• Advertise other social media avenues the commission will be using such as Twitter and Blogger

Commission’s PrivateFacebook Group

• The Learning Cycle is always occurring so a Facebook group allows continual learning opportunities for the commission. For example:

- Experience: Viewer reads or watches content on Facebook page.

- Reflection: Viewer considers what information is consumed by thinking about different ways of interpreting that information.

- Hypothesis: Viewer makes connections between content seen on Facebook to personal experiences to make their own conclusions

- Testing: Viewer makes a comment about posted information or posts a separate video or thought that is connected to the original. Viewer may also bring Facebook information to a meeting and incorporate what was learned in conversation.

• Those who could not attend the commission’s meeting can be updated through the Facebook group


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

Zull, 2002

Use of #SocialMedia• Live chats can be held

between students and other community members (similar to #sachat)

• Advertise events, open forums, and post photos


What We Know

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• Post meeting minutes for students and other community members to see

• Tags and archiving make it easy for people to sort through posts

• Post photos and allow students and community members to create blogs about positive experiences and relations

• Assess students and other community members thoughts regarding community relations by texting in to a hotline and compiling information for assessment

Approach


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

WEEK 1

The Community Relations Commission will meet during Week 1 to perform the following:

• Share goals and expectations of the commission as determined by the initial think-tank and President, which are aligned with its mission and purpose statements

• All conversations will be structured to promote community-based decision making by using the Learning Partnerships Model for an environment in which all participants learn from each other. We will approach this by inviting people to share their opinions to co-construct solutions to address town and gown issues, thus sharing authority.

• Determine if anyone else needs to be added to the commission

• Reflect on perceptions of the issues that are plaguing the relationship between town and gown.

The goal is to have some, if not all, programs developed and ready to implement at the start of the next academic year for fall orientation.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 7 Week 8 Week 20

Week 24

Baxter-Magolda, 2004

Approach


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

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References

WEEK 2


• Develop an assessment plan that provides an opportunity for community members to share their thoughts and feelings regarding the town and gown relations.

Assess how people are making meaning of the relationship between town and gown. By asking these questions we hope to promote the use of Kegan’s dimensions of meaning making to assess community perceptions.

o What do the community members mean by their town being “under siege” during the Sestercentennial? How is this impacting them?

o How are students being a nuisance and what does that mean for them?

o What are the students, alumni and townspeople’s expectations of each other?

o What are each party’s thoughts on the University’s expansion?


Week 24

Kegan, 1994

Approach


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

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WEEK 7


• Discuss assessment results and synthesize them into priority items (based on frequency of occurrence and public safety concerns). Determine which concerns can and will be addressed first.

• Create expectations for the relationship among students, alumni and townspeople based on the feedback received. Use these expectations to guide the process of creating solution outcomes.

• Integrate principles of the Learning Partnerships Model and demonstrating that knowledge is complex and socially constructed

• Mutually constructing meaning amongst the whole community


Week 24

Baxter-Magolda, 2004

Approach


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

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References

WEEK 8The Community Relations Commission will meet during Week 8 to perform the following:

• Develop learning outcomes based upon the assessment feedback of the whole community. Things to consider when creating learning outcomes:

o “What is it that you want students to learn that will move them closer to achieving the mission of the program, division, or college?” (Keeling, 2006, p. 21)

o “The philosophy behind what outcomes are valued” (p. 26)

o How are the outcomes measurable to determine their effectiveness? (p. 26)

• Create solutions that address the town and gown issues, using learning outcomes as a framework.

• Select parties for whom to delegate the planning and implementation of proposed solutions. Parties will be contacted this week for feedback and possible implementation.


Week 24

Approach


What We Know

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Philosophy

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WEEK 20


• Parties that buy into and integrate the proposed solutions will provide the commission with updates. The commission will report its progress to the University. The results presented should be gathered by assessment tools created by commission breakout committees that ask parties to determine to what extent learning outcomes were met.

• Use assessment results to make necessary changes to the solutions developed.


Week 24

"It doesn't matter how brilliant or correct the plan is, it simply doesn't work to ask people to sign on when they haven't been involved in the planning process.”

- Wheatley, 2006, p.68

Approach


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

WEEK 24 (and every month afterward)

Future Meetings

The Commission will continue to meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues and successes regarding town and gown relations.

• The learning outcomes created are intended to be on-going, since it is expected that improving town and gown relations requires a cultural shift in the way students, alumni and townspeople perceive each other and address their concerns.

• Initiatives for fulfilling these learning outcomes will be determined by the Commission and assessment tools that determine initiatives’ congruence with learning outcomes will be utilized for on-going improvement of town and gown relations.

• This group will continue to serve as an outlet for members of those groups to voice their opinions and concerns with intent to create strategies for addressing them.


Week 24

Approach: Temporary Solutions


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

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References

In order to address a more immediate plan of action, we suggest the following:

• Increase amount of late-night and weekend programming through Residence Halls and Student Activities.

• Hand out heart-shaped notes with candy attached raising student awareness about residential neighborhoods to promote responsible decision making.

• Take a restorative justice approach by having students and alumni give back to the town through community service. Students and alumni will be able to post about their experiences on the committee blog.

(UVM, 2013)

References


What We Know

What We Are Missing

Key Assumptions

Philosophy

Commission

Social Media

Approach

References

Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2004). Learning partnerships model: A framework for promoting self-authorship. In M.B. Baxter Magolda & P.M. King (Eds.), Learning partnerships: Theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship (pp. 37-62). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Clemson University. (2013). Clemson university. Retrieved from: http://www.clemson.edu

Evans, N.J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Keeling, R. P. (2006). Learning reconsidered 2: Implementing a campus-wide focus on the student experience. Washington, DC: ACPA, ACUHO-I, ACUI, NACADA NACA, NASPA, & NIRSA. Retrieved from http://www.myacpa.org/pub/documents/LearningReconsidered 2.pdf

Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

University of Vermont. (2013). University of vermont. Retrieved from: http://www.uvm.edu

Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Zull, J. E. (2002). The art of changing the brain. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Documents

Team Leader: Sara Dam Warren Grove Emily Isaacs Bob Just Western Illinois University