Abstract
This article extends the argument that scholarship on marriages and families provides invaluable insights into town-gown relationships. First, a four-square matrix constructed from the twin dimensions of effort and comfort levels is used to describe a typology of campus and community associations. Next the construction of the Optimal College Town Assessment (OCTA), a measure that contains items reflecting both the effort and comfort dimensions, is discussed. We offer an analysis of data from a pilot study utilizing the OCTA with a sample of 602 individuals employed in three communities surrounding the regional campus of a major university, with particular attention paid to variation as a function of distance from the campus. We include a discussion of the implications of the findings for assessment efforts targeting town-gown relationships.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bruning, S., McGrew, S., & Cooper, M. (2006). Town-gown relationships: Exploring university-community engagement from the perspective of community members. Public Relations Preview, 32, 125–130.
Cuber, J. F., & Haroff, P. B. (1965). The significant Americans: A study of sexual behavior among the affluent. New York, NY: Appleton.
Fox, M. (2014). Town and gown: From conflict to cooperation. Union, ON, Canada: Municipal World.
Gavazzi, S. M., Fox, M., & Martin, J. (2014). Understanding campus and community relationships through marriage and family metaphors: A town-gown typology. Innovative Higher Education, 39. doi:10.1007/s10755-014-9288-1
Johnson, M. D., & Anderson, J. R. (2013). The longitudinal association of marital confidence, time spent together, and marital satisfaction. Family Process, 52, 244–256.
Kanter, R. M. (1995). World class: Thriving locally in a global economy. New York, NY: Touchstone.
Kemp, R. L. (2013). Town and gown relations: A handbook of best practices. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Lawlor, J., & Boyle, E. (2007). The merger phenomenon in higher education. In J. Saee (Ed.), Contemporary corporate strategies (pp. 131–138). New York, NY: Routledge.
Sungu-Eryilmaz, Y. (2009). Town-gown collaboration in land use and development. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Tobler, W. R. (1970). A computer movie simulating urban growth in the Detroit region. Economic Geography, 46, 234–240.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gavazzi, S.M., Fox, M. A Tale of Three Cities: Piloting a Measure of Effort and Comfort Levels within Town-Gown Relationships. Innov High Educ 40, 189–199 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-014-9309-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-014-9309-0