The purpose of the University Communities Council is to:

• 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
• Assist cities, NLC, and State Municipal Leagues in gathering, sharing and analyzing information about opportunities, issues and policies of interest to university communities
• Foster a spirit of cooperation between universities, colleges and city and town governments 

The full membership meets during the Congressional City Conference and the Congress of Cities & Exposition. The Steering Committee meets at the two conferences and during the year by conference call if needed.

Membership

Members of the University Communities Council (UCC) are municipal officials from NLC member municipalities with a university or institution of higher education within their borders or within adjacent municipalities.  University officials are welcome to attend UCC meetings.

The UCC Steering Committee consists of appointed chairs and interested persons from the full council who have applied to serve on the committee and have been appointed by the NLC president. 

If you are interested in learning more or joining the council, please contact Ann Kelly.

Meetings

Arizona Assurance Scholars Program
This program provides financial assistance and retention, allowing qualified Arizona students to graduate from the University of Arizona debt-free and is based on the premise that Arizona's low-income students deserve the opportunity to pursue the best educational opportunities the State has to offer.

Resiliency Planning for Neighborhoods:  Principles, Indicators, and Cases
The School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University developed a handbook of practical tools to help cities become more resilient in today's challenging times.  This presentation will show indicators for neighborhood resiliency and provide examples of how you can apply indicators of resilience in your community.

Building a Sustainable Community:  How Collaboration with ASU Narrowed Our Streets and Widened Our Minds
This presentation outlines the dynamic partnership between the City of Mesa and the Arizona State University.  Students are assigned to various departments within the city government to identify opportunities for improved efficiency and sustainability and proposed solutions.

Communities of Opportunity:  Smart Growth Strategies for Colleges and Universities
Institutions of higher education across the United States have adopted smart growth strategies to help ensure that new growth and development meet the institutions' mission to provide high-quality education, support research and innovation, and serve the community in which they live.  This report was co-authored with Ayers/Saint/Gross Architects + Planners and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

Innovative Programs to Enhance Neighborhood Relationships:  Where Students and Long-term Residents Coexist
The Community Liaison Project is a collaborative effort between the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University designed to promote positive relationships between students and non-students living in Fort Collins neighborhoods.  The presentation focuses on the innovative programs geared towards educating students about local ordinances and standards, strengthening enforcement and prevention, disposing of unwanted furniture in a positive way and creating opportunities to promote community connectedness between students and non-student neighbors living in close proximity.

Communities Learning in Partnership Project
NLC's Institute for Youth, Education and Families (YEF Institute) is serving as managing intermediary for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Communities Learning in Partnership Project, which seeks to boost postsecondary graduation rates by better coordinating the services that colleges, schools and cities provide to students.

Municipal Leadership for Postsecondary Success Initiative
With support from Lumina Foundation for Education, the YEF Institute has launched a two-year initiative to engage cities in efforts to help young adults complete postsecondary education

International Town & Gown Association (ITGA)
The International Town & Gown Association provides a network of resources to assist civic leaders, university officials, faculty, neighborhood residents and students to collaborate on common services, programs, academic research and citizen issues, creating an improved quality of life for all residents, students, visitors, faculty and staff.

Linking Colleges to Communities:  Engaging the University for Community Development
Published by The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, this report reviews the history of policy and funding decisions that have shaped the agenda and direction of higher education.  They surveyed the growing movement for university-community engagement from service-learning and community-based research to university financial strategies that are investing many tens of millions of dollars annually in community development.  And in the conclusion of this report, they suggest a strategic framework by which America's foundations, in particular, could play a catalytic role in awakening the sleeping giant of higher education.