by Henrietta Davis

Municipal officials in university communities face unique problems and opportunities, especially if they?re from small cities where universities or colleges are a dominant force.

NLC?s University Communities Council (UCC), one of NLC?s Member Networking Councils, is looking for new and returning members who are interested in being a part of the group that links municipal officials from university communities to network and share information. It is an inclusive council with no limit on the number of members.

NLC First Vice President Bart Peterson, who will become NLC president next year, will officially appoint members of UCC for a one-year term based on applications that are submitted by Nov. 15.

University Community Issues
Some of the issues of importance to UCC are economic development, community arts and athletics, alcohol and noise violations, housing, neighborhood concerns and partnerships between universities and cities or towns.

Members introduce new issues for discussion at meetings. Council meetings frequently include roundtable discussions where members hear from guest speakers, talk about examples from their own communities and make helpful contacts. Members of UCC are eager to share the challenges and successes of their own cities and towns and learn from those of others.

In addition, UCC members are active in NLC and share the challenges and objectives of NLC member cities.

In December, at the Congress of Cities and Exposition in Reno, Nev., a UCC speaker will address the impact of a pandemic on university communities.

Background
UCC was formed in 1977 as a member group to encourage the active involvement of university communities in NLC, its policy-making process and its programs. The council changed its status to become a Member Networking Council at the Congressional City Conference in March 2006.

Members of UCC are elected officials from municipalities with a university or institution of higher education within its borders or within an adjacent municipality. 

The purpose of the council is t

? Create opportunities for elected municipal officials from university communities to become involved in NLC for networking and information sharing;

? Provide input and guidance to NLC to ensure that the needs and interests of municipal officials from university communities are included in NLC programs and services;

? Support NLC?s advocacy agenda as part of the NLC grassroots network;

? Assist NLC in meeting its membership goals; and

? Attract, engage and sustain the participation of officials from university communities as active NLC members.
UCC also provides elected municipal officials with opportunities to build and demonstrate their leadership skills.

Get Involved
To obtain a UCC member application, go to www.nlc.org, click on ?Committees & Councils? under the ?Inside NLC? tab, then click on the UCC link. Applications are also available by request to NLC staff members Bonnie Mann, mann@nlc.org or (202) 626-3125, and Alice Walkup, walkup@nlc.org or (202) 626-3073.

All terms begin on Jan. 1 and must be renewed on an annual basis through the application process.

All are welcome to attend meetings of the UCC at NLC conferences, and are particularly encouraged to attend UCC?s membership meeting during the Congress of Cities.

If not attending the conferences, elected officials can still become members of UCC and receive information through a listserv that permits members to share information with each other. The members on this listserv also receive periodic updates from council staff.

Details: For more information on the membership process or general questions about UCC, contact Bonnie Mann or Alice Walkup.

Henrietta Davis is chair of NLC?s University Communities Council and a councilor in Cambridge, Mass.