Sunnyvale University

S Sunnyvale University • “Where students are empowered to excel in a global and diverse learning community through a commitment to inclusive excellence, intellectual development, and overall student success." U Report presented by the Sunnyvale and Community Joint Review Board: Katherine BeggsLauren Healey Sadie Molinet University of South Carolina

Welcome Thank you for coming today! This presentation will inform you of recommendations, as proposed by the Sunnyvale and Community Joint Review Board, to improve town-gown relations between the community and Sunnyvale University! Our agenda will discuss the following: • Purpose of our review • Benefits of improved relations • Immediate Response (Implementation of a Town Council-University Advisory Board, Social Media Campaign, Community-based Festival, and University Orientation workshops) • Long-term Plan (1 year, 3 year, 5 year plan) • Theory-based Support We look forward to your continued support of this initiative!

Purpose The International Town-Gown Association describes the town-gown relationship as: "A collaborative relationship between the community (town) and the local college or university (gown) contributes to an overall quality of life for everyone involved. However, issues such as local budget cuts, off-campus student conduct, and campus expansions too often cause strained relations between town and gown(Griffo, 2013)" In the case of Sunnyvale, campus expansions and off-campus student conduct have strained relations between town and gown. Therefore, the Boardhas been created to initiate dialogue between the campus and its neighbors. The goal is to develop and nurture a positive relationship based on a shared understanding of the roles of the town and university , respectively, to promote a healthy and flourishing community. TheSunnyvale and Community Joint Review Board recognizes the breadth of the issue that brought us here today. A multitude of individuals and stakeholders are affected by the current strained town-gown relations. These constituents may include: • The University • Students • Faculty • Staff • Alumni • The Town • Residents • Landlords • Business Owners • The County • The State

Benefits By reversing the current trend, all stakeholders have much to gain. Through increased collaboration and strengthened relationships between the University and Town, we stand to improve: • Community Involvement • Student Involvement • Student Safety • Marketing (through joint town/ university initiatives) Collaboration will foster mutually beneficial partnerships for both the present and future in the areas of: • Sustainability • Campus Planning • Neighborhood Relations • Emergency Management • Government Relations • Transit Services • The Arts Additionally, we will be able to share the cost of services and develop an intellectual pipeline between the community and University.

“The team exists to accomplish a result. The community exists to support its members while they fulfill their purpose. . . . When partnerships, management teams, and organizations build communities, they tap into a greater and deeper reservoir of courage, wisdom, and productivity.” —Peter Gibb

Immediate Response The severity of the current town-gown issue will be addressed through the creation of the following: • A Town Council-University Advisory Board • This board would include the Mayor, prominent community members, the University President, University faculty, staff, student leaders, and the Student Body President. • The University President in conjunction with the Mayor will appoint the Board annually. • The Board will meet monthly to discuss issues of concern, recommendations, and generate new ideas to continue strengthening relations between the community and university. • Town Hall meetings will be held quarterly to include community and university members at large. Members of the community and university will have the opportunity to share their opinions, concerns, and provide feedback to the Board.

Immediate Response (continued) • To engage members of our community and university, the Board will launch an aggressive social media campaign. We will utilize the following social media avenues to reach out to the community and members of the university to encourage their participation: • Social Media Campaign • “Join our Facebook page!” Prizes including food vouchers for the Annual Food Truck Festival will be given to 10 lucky people randomly selected from the next 100 people to "Like" our page! • “Follow us on Twitter!” The 100th person to re-tweet us gets a prize! • “Follow us on Instagram!” Post your best picture engaging in the university and/or community! Each week the best photo submission will receive a meal voucher from a local restaurant! • We will utilize Hootsuite as a way to help organize our social media campaign! (Hootsuitesends pre-arranged Facebook and Twitter posts from our sites at specified times!) • Make sure to check in on 4square to all of the local businesses you visit! Let's show them our support! • The local city events page will be redesigned to reflect the integration of the town-gown relations between the community and university and will serve as the major conduit of information about events, programs, and services offered jointly through the Advisory Board. The University and Chamber of Commerce for the city will link to this website and advertise events through their respective websites. • All members of the university community and city will be encouraged to participate and will be eligible for University swag and prizes from local businesses!

Immediate Response (continued) • Food Truck Festival • The Annual Food Truck Festival will be planned for March to kick-off the spring! • This annual event will: • Feature entertainment from the University including the All-Male Sunny Acapella Group, the Rays of Light Dance Team, and student performers from various other student organizations on campus! • Be a great way to support local businesses, enjoy some great food, and have fun! Additionally, a Community Recognition Ceremony will be held to honor those local businesses in the community that have greatly impacted city-university relations! For the inaugural awards, the Town Council-University Advisory Board will select the honorees based on suggestions from the University President and City Mayor. On the student side, Community Footprint Awards will be awarded to students who have given significant contributions back to the community whether through civic engagement, work, and/or internship experiences. • Be open to people of all ages and will serve as a way to connect the community and university in a joint celebration of our city!

Immediate Response (continued) • It's Always Sunny...at Orientation! Orientation, hosted through the Office of New Student and Family Programs, will offer informative sessions about how the town and university co-exist. It will serve as a forum for the Town Council-University Advisory Board to promote joint events for the community and university and foster relations between the students and the community as students become engaged in the community. This session will be offered during every first-year student and transition orientation session. Aside from promoting events and programs happening in the town, this session will work to foster connections between community members and students, encouraging students to be engaged in the community through internships, externships, and service to the community!

Long-term plan Our long-term plan includes the implementation of a Town-Gown Relation Office within the Division of Communications. This office would be responsible for meeting the following 1-year, 3- year, and 5-year goals: 1- Year Goals • Improve upon all of the initiatives outlined in the “Immediate Response” section of this recommendation. • Assist in the development of and partnership with a community-run town-gown support office (to compliment the already implemented Town Council-University Advisory Board). • Formulate a comprehensive marketing campaign to increase awareness and support. This will include: • Expansion of the previously implemented Social Media campaign. • Development of a slogan and promotional materials. • Videos, posted each month, regarding the history of Sunnyvale. • Creation of a hotline to receive community and/or student complaints.

Long-term plan (continued) 3 Year Plan • Maintain a web based resource center. This will include: • Information regarding the history, culture, and events of Sunnyvale University and the town. • Creation of a practical guide for “living away from home” for students. • Documents containing information regarding tenants rights, good neighbor etiquette, and appropriate student behavior. • Events • Annual Community Service Week, where students and community members gather together to serve the larger community. • A 5k, in the Fall, to support the annual community scholarship fund. Children of community members will receive priority consideration for receipt of scholarship funds. • Symposiums, where prominent community leaders speak and perform for the benefit of their peers, students, and community members. • Assessment • All of our efforts should be assessed for success and shortcomings. By creating a continuous culture of assessment we are able to adequately address the needs of both the town and gown.

Long-term plan (continued) 5 Year Plan • Effective implementation of the following educational programs: • A certificate program in Town-Gown Relations (Expand) • An optional Senior Capstone Course where seniors must connect a semester long, community-centered, outside of the classroom experiences to their major (Expand) • A Lifelong Learning Program where people over 55 are able to attend classes at the university for free (Expand) • Co-curricular initiatives such as: • Increased internship and externship opportunities in the city • Mentorship programs for incoming freshman • Shadowing programs where students can observe professionals in fields of potential career interest 2. Fundraising initiatives to create a town-gown community center. This event space would be rentable and available for performances and other engagements.

Long-term plan (continued) 5 Year Plan • Effective implementation of the following educational programs: • A certificate program in Town-Gown Relations • An optional Senior Capstone Course where seniors must connect a semester long, community-centered, outside of the classroom experiences to their major • A Lifelong Learning Program where people over 55 are able to attend classes at the university for free • Co-curricular initiatives such as: • Increased internship and externship opportunities in the city • Mentorship programs for incoming freshman • Shadowing programs where students can observe professionals in fields of potential career interest 2. Fundraising initiatives to create a town-gown community center. This event space would be rentable and available for performances and other engagements.

Support To understand our students and factors influencing their actions, we have included multiple student development theories. These student development theories include: • Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development • Programs and initiatives listed above may help students move through the various vectors, such as assist them in Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships. • Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning • Many of the Sunneyvale students may be “preconventional” in their development. Until the reach stage 2, they may struggle to identify with the rules and expectations of their fellow community members. • Schlossberg’s Transition Theory • As students transition and grow their identities and ways of making meaning change. We must recognize that each student may be coping with transition differently. We can use Schlossberg's Transition Theory in understanding the needs of our populations and the benefits of community support. • The InteractionistPerspective • The environment, coupled with a student's personal beliefs, values, and upbringing affect their behavior. Therefore, we must positively change the student's environment is we are to affect their behavior.

Support Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development Vectors of development each have a magnitude (amount/value) and direction (any direction). We must remember that students move through vectors at different rates. The students at Sunnyvale reside within various vectors as they transition to collegiate life. • Vectors: • Developing Competence-- a sense of confidence that one can achieve goals and handle issues that they may face; intellectual (grades), physical/manual skills (activities), and interpersonal (social interactions) • Managing Emotions-- recognizing and accepting emotions while appropriately expressing and controlling them • Moving Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence-- Instrumental (problem-solving ability, self-direction and mobility)and emotional independence; recognize the importance of relationships • Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships-- development of intercultural and interpersonal tolerance, appreciation of differences and ability to create lasting and intimate relationships • Establishing Identity-- builds on the vectors which come before it-- becoming comfortable with who you are (body, social, self-esteem) • Developing Purpose-- career goals, commitments to personal interests and activities and commitments to relationships and make these decisions with personal confidence sometimes going against the grain • Developing Integrity-- 3 sequential but overlapping stages: humanizing values, personalizing values and developing congruences We must also consider the effects of Admonitions and Environmental Influences. • Admonitions: • Integration of work and learning – since most students work as well as take classes, collaborative relationships are needed that will maximize the developmental potential of work and volunteer experiences (may also relate to the importance of academic affairs and student affairs collaboration) • Recognition and Respect for Individual Differences – educators must be cognizant of the different backgrounds and needs of their students and adjust their interactions and interventions to address these differences • Acknowledgement of the Cyclical Nature of Learning and Development – learning involves periods of differentiation and integration, equilibrium and disequilibrium • Environmental Influences: Institutional Objectives, Institutional Size, Student-Faculty Relationships, Curriculum, Teaching, Friendships and Student Communities, Student Development Programs and Services

Support Support Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning Three criteria frame Kohlberg's theory -- Structure criterion (most fundamental; at a given stage, individuals exhibit a similar reasoning pattern regardless of the content of situation), Sequence criterion (stages appear in a specific order, regardless of setting or experience; not all people advance through all stages or at same rate), and Hierarchy criterion(each successive stage is more highly developed than the previous ones because it is all-encompassing). Additionally, two factors contribute to moral stage development: Exposure to higher-stage thinking and disequilibrium (which occurs when individuals are faced with situations arousing internal contradictions in their moral reasoning structures). • Stages: • Stage 1, Level 1- Heteronomous Morality: Right is defined as obeying rules to avoid punishment and refraining from physical harm to others and property; Do not consider the rights or concerns of others. • Stage 2, Level 1 -Individualistic, Instrumental Morality: Follow rules as if it is in their interest to do so; Right is defined by what is fair or an agreement. • Stage 3, Level 2 - Interpersonally Normative Morality: Right is defined as meeting the expectations of those to whom one is close and carrying out appropriate, acceptable social roles; Want to be a good person image and gain others’ approval. • Stage 4, Level 2 - Social System Morality: View social system as made up of a consistent set of rules and procedures applying equally to all people. • Stage 5, Level 3 - Human Rights and Social Welfare Morality: laws and social systems are evaluated based on the extent to which they promote fundamental rights and values; Moral obligations and social relationships are based on making and being able to depend on agreements. • Stage 6, Level 3- Morality of Universalizable, Reversible, and Prescriptive General Ethical Principles: Morality involves equal consideration of the points of view of all involved in a moral situation; Decisions are based on principles that can be generalized to all. • Six stages sequenced and grouped into three levels. Each level represents a different relationship between the self and society’s rules and expectations: • Level 1: Preconventional – do not understand societal rules and expectations; perspective is concrete and individually focused • Level 2: Conventional – “member of society” perspective; individuals identify with the rules and expectations of others, especially authority figures • Level 3: Postconventional or Principled – “prior to society” perspective; individuals separate themselves from the rules and expectations of others and base decisions on self-chosen principles

Support Schlossberg’s Transition Theory Transition is “any event or non-event that results in changes relationships, routines, assumptions, or roles (Evans, Forney & Guido, 2010)” The meaning, for the individual, is based on: type, context (relationship to transition and the setting), and impact (alterations to daily life). Types of transitions: • anticipated (occur predictably such as graduation) • unanticipated (not predictable or scheduled like divorce or death) • non-events (expected but do not occur, such as a failure to be admitted to college) • personal • ripple • resultant • delayed We must understand the four following S's in order to address a student in transition: • The Situation: trigger, timing, control, role change, duration, previous experience, concurrent stress, assessment • The Self: personal characteristics, demographic characteristics • Support: types and function • Strategies: categories (Modify situation, control meaning, manage stress in aftermath), coping models (information seeking, direct action, inhibition of action, intrapsychic behavior)

Support Support The Interactionist Perspective A cornerstone on which an understanding of student development is based. B = f (P x E) where B is the function of the interaction (x) of person (P) and environment (E). Essentially, not every person experiences an environment in a similar way. Environmental Factors Influencing Development: • Challenge and Support • As the levels of challenge and support both increase, so does the level of growth • Three developmental conditions: readiness, challenge, and support • Theory of Involvement • Increased involvement leads to increased student growth • Involvement = the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience • Five postulates: • Involvement refers to the investment of physical and psychological energy in various objects • Regardless of the object, involvement occurs along a continuum • Involvement has both quantitative and qualitative features • The amount of student learning and personal development associated with any educational program is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of student involvement in the program • The effectiveness of any educational policy or practice is directly related to the capacity of that policy or practice to increase student involvement

References Disare, Monica. (2013). Town-gown thrives under partnership. Yale Daily News. Retrieved from http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/01/30/town-gown-thrives-under-partnership/ Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido, F. M. (2010).Student development in college, theory, research, and practice. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub. Fitzgerald, J. (2012). Fitzgerald leads effort to improve town-gown relations. UVA Today. Retrieved from http://news.virginia.edu/content/fitzgerald-leads-effort-improve-town-gown-relations Griffo, K. (2013). The itga certificate program in town-gown relations. Retrieved from http://www.itgau.org/certificateprogram Herbst, S. (2013). What a university owes a town. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/01/02/wake-newtown-rethinking-what-university-owes-its-town-essay Moyen, E. (2006). Town-Gown relations on trial. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2006/06/08/moyen

References The ICMA-ITGA certificate program in town gown relations. (2013). Retrieved from http://icma.org/en/Page/100229/The_ICMAITGA_Certificate_Program_in_TownGown_Relations Town-Gown. (2012) West Chester Division of Student Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu/townGownPrograms.asp Queen's university town-gown relations. (2010). Retrieved from http://towngown.sa.queensu.ca/

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