The ITGA "Power Lunch" Series™

The ITGA Power Lunch Series™ is an online program offered concurrently with the ITGA Certificate Program in Town-Gown Relations. During the sessions, held Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. (ET), participants will learn proven, high-impact practices straight from the field. You may sign up for individual sessions or the entire series.  Sessions are summarized below:  

Building Community through Entrepreneurship on and off Campus - Wednesday, February 20 

Entrepreneurship is a leading force in Blacksburg, Virginia where it has proven to be invaluable in helping to build lasting bonds between talented students, community businesses, and campus institutions.  In this session, Braden Croy, a Virginia Tech graduate and President of the VT Entrepreneur Club, will highlight ways campuses and towns can use entrepreneurship to retain highly skilled talent, promote employment, and build a vibrant business culture.


Double Trouble – a Tornado and then a Flood – How to Respond when Disaster Strikes Town & Gown - Wednesday, February 27 
 
Responding to a disaster is difficult under any circumstance.  Those of us in college towns have the added responsibility of managing the safety of young adults whose families from all over the world have entrusted to our communities.  Public Works Director, Rick Fosse, will share the unique disaster response challenges and recovery opportunities based on his experience with a tornado in 2006 and a flood in 2008 that hit Iowa City and the University of Iowa.  

Fair Share vs. Fair Shot:  What should higher ed contribute to their communities?  What should communities expect? Wednesday, March 6

The number of local government leaders calling on universities to pay their “fair share” has grown as fallout from the recession continues.  University officials, facing challenging economics and a poor fiscal outlook, believe they are fulfilling their civic responsibility by educating the next generation of tax payers and societal contributors—giving students their “fair shot.”  How can these two views be squared?  Sally Weimbrom Kram, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs for the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, will explore the thinking behind both arguments (fair share vs. fair shot) and how town and gown to work together to reach a “fair deal.” 

Employer-based Housing Incentives in College Towns - Wednesday, March 20