| John L. Gann, Jr., "A New Old Role for College Towns? University Business, September, 2013, p. 60.
College towns are well positioned to join the revival of a popular adult education and recreation experience originating a century ago. John L. Gann, Jr., "More Than a Campus Town," Ithaca (NY) Times, March 18, 2009, p. 11. Business as usual in a college town may no longer work in as time of financial stress and other changing conditions. Instead of continuing as single-purpose places, college towns can become Univer-Cities no longer confined to students and scholars. John L. Gann, Jr., "Nostalgia Fuels Economic Opportunity for College Towns," Davis (CA) Enterprise, August 17, 2008, p. A7. College towns that over the past 50 years prospered as A Place to Learn can in the 21st century do as well or better as A Place to Live for both workers and retirees. The potential is especially rich among the Baby Boomers, since they were the first generation to pursue higher education in such large numbers. John L. Gann, Jr., "New Challenges for College Towns," Ithaca (NY) Times, September 21, 2011, p. 6. College towns like Ithaca, home of Cornell University, “have advantages that comparably-sized places would kill for.” And their emotional equity with alumni can make them good places to live or retire and not just places to learn. |
John L. Gann, Jr., "Economic Opportunity for College Towns," Ames (IA) Tribune, August 17, 2008.
Their economies are threatened by distance learning, funding cuts, and demographic trends. But college towns can benefit from of the emotional tie alumni have to colleges. John L. Gann, Jr., "City Should Get Retiring Alumni to Move Back," Madison (WI) Capital Times, June 6, 2012, p. 28. A good college town like Madison has a lot to offer its alums when they retire. It should not keep its advantages to this group a secret. John L. Gann, Jr., "New College Marketing Strategy: Adopt-a-Course," Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, December 6, 2009, p. E1. Schools could bring in new revenue while strengthening ties to alumni, emeriti, businesses, and local residents by offering “Class Act” sponsorships of individual courses. Class Acts might attract larger numbers of significant donors. The giving inclinations of the huge, widely-educated, and now mid-life-prosperous Baby Boomers might be redirected if such endowments were offered. John L. Gann, Jr., "Marketing College Towns to Tourists, Clarion (PA) News, May 16, 2013, p. 6. How college towns can draw visitors other than scholars, students, and their families. |