11th June 2003

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The University of Ulster is this week hosting a community relations conference which will tackle the issues facing universities, their students and local communities.

The conference, entitled Town and Gown: Students Living in Local Communities, has attracted professionals from across the UK and Ireland and will take place at both the Jordanstown and Coleraine campus.

The programme includes contributors who will share their practice and experiences in the field and reveal some of the key findings that have emerged from their work. Workshops will also give participants the opportunity to look at crucial issues including student discipline, press and community relations, and student community action.

Anne Monaghan, Community Relations Manager at the University of Ulster said: “This is an exciting opportunity for professionals working in the area of town and gown relations to come together and discuss matters relating to students and the community.

“Universities are now more closely linked with local communities than ever before, with many students choosing to live in the private sector, in residential communities, near university campuses.

“In some communities conflicts have arisen between students, local people and residents’ groups on issues such as noise, rubbish or parties. The differing lifestyles of students and long-term residents, which lie at the root of these problems, mean that universities have had to adopt strategies or appoint professionals to address these issues, as the University of Ulster has done. The UU’s Community Liaison programme has included strategies such as mediation, mentoring and organizing community events where students and residents can get to know each other better.

“During this two-day conference we hope to look at areas of best practice and establish a network of community relations managers in the sector. The University of Ulster is taking a leading role in this area and we are delighted to have been asked by a number of other universities to host this conference.”

Professor Peter Roebuck, Provost for Community Relations at the University of Ulster
said: “According to their circumstances Universities and Colleges adopt a variety of strategies and tactics in managing Community Relations. This conference is primarily designed to allow a variety of third-level institutions to share experience, to swap ideas, and to develop good practice. We will all learn a lot from it.”

The two-day conference will run from Wednesday June 11 to Thursday June 12 2003.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk