2025 Call for Proposals

Kent State University City of Kent Ohio

The 2025 International Town & Gown Association's City & University Relations Conference 
Hosted by the Kent State University and City of Kent, OH

Communicate, Collaborate & Celebrate!

Submit a Proposal

Proposal Submission Closed

Deadline to Submit: Friday, February 21, 2025

Background and Invitation to Submit

The 2025 ITGA City & University Relations Conference will be hosted by the City of Kent, Ohio, and Kent State University, June 4-6, 2025, with the theme Communicate, Collaborate, & Celebrate! The conference will highlight the importance of effective communication and collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as celebrating successes that inspire further excellence. 

We invite you to submit proposals for conference presentations through Friday, February 21, 2025. The conference program is divided into thematic tracks designed to encourage presentations from university and municipal representatives, community members, public safety professionals, students, and experts in related fields. 

Proposals should align with the ITGA’s core competencies and provide an opportunity for interaction and discussion among participants. Presentations can be lectures with Q&A, panel discussions, lightning talks, or workshops. New this year, ITGA is also welcoming posters that showcase academic research or innovative programs, which will be featured in a dedicated networking session.

Conference registration is required for all presenters, including the lead/presenting author of a poster. For questions, please contact Beth Bagwell, ITGA Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Topic Areas

The program is a collaboration between Molson Coors and the International Town and Gown Association (ITGA).

To reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol consumption by college students.

Successful proposals for this track should address issues impacting strategic financial and capital planning in communities, as well as city-university partnerships. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Sustainability
  • Economic development (including Joint Economic Development)
  • Community development
  • Campus & community partnerships
  • Construction
  • Community-campus master planning
  • Joint city / university programs & projects
  • Revitalization & (re)development

Successful proposals for this track should address issues affecting policing, fire safety, first responders, and city/university leaders. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

  • Preparation for and management of large-scale events
  • Crisis response
  • Protest and public expression management 
  • Off campus student parties
  • Local ordinances impacting community safety
  • Community policing

Successful proposals for this track should focus on students living off campus and their surrounding communities. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

  • Access to local housing
  • Educating students on available local housing
  • Landlord / tenant issues
  • Studentification 
  • Controlled growth and housing affordability 
  • Neighborhood relations
  • Impacts of university growth on housing for faculty, staff and community members 
  • Rental licensing, certifications and accreditation schemes, compliance and PBSA

Successful proposals for this track will focus on social issues impacting our communities. Examples may include, but are not limited to

  • Demonstrations / protests / social activism
  • Racial justice, equity, & bias 
  • Inclusion / exclusion
  • Welcoming international students
  • Communication barriers between city / university including divisive language and behaviors

Successful proposals for this track will focus on issues impacting our communities, jobs, and personal lives. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

  • Harm-reduction for alcohol & other drugs
  • Sexual violence prevention & response
  • Self-care for faculty, staff, students, and community members
  • Mental health of citizens, students, and city / university staff
  • Physical health of citizens, students, and city / university staff

Submission Requirements and Important Dates

  • Name of contact person and contact information
  • Title of innovation or solution
  • Track number 
  • Include student enrollment size and population of city/town
  • Description of the format and outline of the content and key messages
  • Abstract in 75 words or less describing your program session (to be used in the conference program)
  • Learning outcomes
  • Sessions are limited to a total of 60 minutes, keeping into account the desire for interactive sessions encouraging attendee participation.
  • Lightening rounds are 20 minues. 
  • Rooms are equipped with audio/visual capabilities-projector screens and/or flat screen TVs. Presenters must bring your own laptop.
  • You must submit your proposal on or before Friday, February 21, 2025.
  • You will be notified on or before Thursday, March 21, 2025 regarding the status of your proposal.
  • If accepted, presenters will be required to submit a one-page summary for attendees using a pre-provided template. 

ITGA Core Competencies

Each proposal must connect to one of ITGA’s Core Competencies below. For more information, click here.

  • Building Community: Strengthening, adding, and growing diverse, equitable and inclusive opportunities for all members of the community
  • Transforming Relationships: Creating collaborative partnerships to foster economic growth and success of the community
  • Wellbeing: Creating a balanced approach to health, safety and wellness to faculty, staff, students and community members
  • Resiliency: Responding to environmental challenges

Who Should Submit and Attend 

  • Mayors/elected officials
  • City administrators
  • University/college leaders
  • Researchers
  • Campus police officers
  • Public safety 
  • Community/campus planners
  • Housing administrators
  • Parking/transportation officers
  • Students/community members
  • Private housing developers 
  • Others sharing a unified town gown vision

Suggested Guidelines for a Successful Session

Sessions should be representative of town and gown relations, so it is important to include both university and community stakeholder perspectives.

Many times, we focus on the “what” without exploring the “how.” We encourage you to share challenges and how you overcame these, as well as any lessons learned throughout the process.

Research, data and program evaluation are part of many processes, and we are interested to understand this part of your experience. Make sure to share any data/metrics you have, as well as how that has informed your work.

Conference presenters can sometimes fall into the routine of lecture-style and/or tour-like presentations that are not always the most engaging for attendees. We want this conference to be an exchange of information, so we encourage you to develop your classroom and/or mobile style session as interactive and conversational as possible.

 

Submit a Proposal

Proposal Submission Closed