Transcript Summary of Case • Town & Gown relationship is suffering as Sunnyvale has grown into the city proper – students are causing community.

Summary of Case
• Town & Gown relationship is suffering as Sunnyvale has
grown into the city proper – students are causing
community unrest
• Committee is made up of Dean of Students – Chair,
Director of Residence Life and Student Activities,
Marketing Director of Athletics, Director of Civic
Engagement/Service, Marketing and Communications
Specialist, (2) influential faculty members, Deputy
Mayor, (2) local Sunnyvale community supporters, a
local community agency representative, and someone
from Sunnyvale Public Schools, (5) key and influential
students
Sunnyvale Initiatives
Dean of Students
Athletics
Student Activities
Sunnyvale in the Schools
Dean of Students
• Conduct Approach
– Align university and community discipline for students
– Taskforce assembled
– Students will sign a Code of Conduct upon
matriculation
• Connect university safety and security with
community
– Informational sessions
– Review of policies and procedures
– Safety and security hotline for community members
Sunnyvale Athletics
• Promotional Nights
– Kids get in free
– $1 Hot Dogs
• Summer sports camps for youth leagues
• Game watch parties at local establishments
hosted by Sunnyvale Alumni Association
Sunnyvale in the Schools
• Office of Community Service will conduct
initiatives for a comprehensive “Sunnyvale in the
Schools” program
– Program will provide university students as tutors for
after school programs
– Program will host Communiversity Days
• Held quarterly, Communiversity Days will provide interaction
of Sunnyvale students with residents and children of the
community
• Some examples: tours of Sunnyvale will be given to grade
school children, carnival like activities either within the
school or on campus, discounts at local restaurants, etc
Sunnyvale Student Activities
• Recognizing a need for evening programming,
Sunnyvale will do a full assessment of current
student activities programming
– Students will provide feedback on types of events
Sunnyvale activities they would attend
– Funds will be reallocated to provide Late Night
programming – initiatives to keep students on
campus
Partnership between Sunnyvale and
the Community
Building a Relationship
Sunnyvale Make A Difference Day
• Held during the Fall semester
• Each residence hall floor with get 10-15 residents
to be on a team
• Teams will also be made of student organizations
and groups of individual students that would like
to participate
• The teams will meet at the Student Union on the
morning of the event and be transported by bus
to different locations though the local community
to carry out various service projects
Sunnyvale Make A Difference Day
• Student will also receive t-shits with the
“Sunnyvale Make a Difference Day” logo so they
can be seen in the community and be recognized
at Sunnyvale student. These shirts will also serve
as promotion thought the academic year to
advertise next year’s event
• Sunnyvale University will provide lunches and
lunch time will provide a space a time for the
students and community members to share a
meal and create relationships that will last much
beyond this one day of service
Sunnyvale Facilities
• Relief Efforts:
– In the wake of recent natural disasters Sunnyvale will
offer it’s facilities to relief efforts (collection areas for
donations, emergency shelters, staging areas for
volunteers, etc.)
• Rental:
– Large meeting facilities and ballrooms on Sunnyvale’s
campus will be offered for rental by community
members and organizations for a discounted rate
compared to those outside the community
Sunnyvale Facilities
• Training:
– Sunnyvale will offer free training to all faculty and staff as
well as community members about the precautions that
need to be taken when minors are on campus. These
trainings will allow for community children to be in
university facilities with a lessor risk to the university and
community image.
• Summer @ Sunnyvale:
– During the summer months Residence Life facilities will be
able to be booked by community organizations that would
like to host conferences or large groups. The Residence Life
venues will be offered at a discounted rate compared to
other chain hotels.
Social Media and Sunnyvale
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Trainings
Twitter
• @SunnyAthletics
– Information on
community
projects
• Day(s) of service
– Local Business Day
promotions
– Student programs
• Art exhibits
• Fundraisers
– Twitter Forums
• “Ask a
professor/administ
rator/student”
Facebook
• Photos of events
• Calendar of upcoming events
• Links to other university pages
– Sunnyvale Athletics
– Student Government
E – Newsletter
• Town wide distribution
– Local businesses
– Residences
– Student residence halls
• Coupons for students
– Specials at local businesses
• Discount events for community
– Free movies in university quad
– Discount apparel at university bookstore
Social Media Training
• Community Workshops
– How to set up Twitter and Facebook
– Social media basics
– Using social media as a direct source of
information
• Student Workshops
– Proper social media etiquette
– Protocol for sharing upcoming student activities
Deputy Mayor
• Student discount program in the community
– Example: Show your ID, get 10 percent off
• School pride program
– Example: Window displays in local business “Welcome
Sunnyvale Students!”
– Example: Sporting event sponsorships and discounts
• University Newsletter
– Share Sunnyvale University newsletter to community
partners
Town & Gown Commission
• Board of community and university leaders
–
–
–
–
University President and Office representatives
University Provost and representatives
City Mayor and Office representatives
Local business owners and leaders
• Created to improve communication and
collaboration among university and community
– Create awareness of the neighborhoods, the students,
the local government
– Develop strategic solutions for issues of common
concern
The Communiversity Project:
Conclusion
• Immediate solution
– Commence committee, role out of several initiatives that are made an
immediate priority
• Late Night Programming
• Social Media outlets
• Town & Gown Commission
• Long Term Solution
– Community engagement in Sunnyvale activities
– Strong partnerships between university and public schools
– Revisiting the University mission to ensure it aligns with building productive
citizenship
• Our multifaceted approach brings together several key stakeholders for a
holistic solution focused approach
• Students will become more engaged at the University and within the
community through various mediums, community will benefit from
several university initiatives
Thank you StudentAffairs.com!
D. Arnold, T. Converso, D. Miles, L.
Doerner