The Covid-19 pandemic pushed municipalities that host colleges and universities into crisis mode last spring when students were sent home to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Now, an NBC news story forecasts that these college towns will face nothing short of an “existential threat” this coming fall semester as the result of campuses offering only a fraction of classes in person. The prediction was made that college towns would turn rapidly into “ghost towns” amidst a largely online environment.
The prediction was made that college towns would turn rapidly into “ghost towns” amidst a largely … [+]
To date, stories that have focused on the plight of college towns have focused almost exclusively on the economic woes of businesses located near universities. These restaurants, bars, retail shops, and other small business owners operating close to the university are heavily dependent on the foot traffic created by students, faculty, and staff members who are working on a vibrant campus.
Almost entirely missing from these stories so far, however, are the residents of the college towns who are not directly involved in this sort of commerce. While they live in the town, they make their living in some other form of business that is not so directly dependent on a thriving campus. And yet, their lives quickly are becoming upended as well.
Having recently stepped down as mayor of Oxford, Ohio — home of Miami University of Ohio — Kate Rousmaniere is both a long-term resident and an employee of the university. The experience of working both on campus and in prominent community roles (she remains a township trustee) provides her with a unique perspective on the town-gown relationship. Regarding the situation faced by permanent residents of college towns, Dr. Rousmaniere noted that there are 3 main ways these residents will be impacted. “First and foremost, there is the virus itself. Regardless of what is happening on campus, residents are concerned that partying and other unregulated activities off-campus will spread Covid-19 throughout the community, creating significant health concerns for our most vulnerable residents.”
“Second, residents are concerned that the decline in the student population will create less rentals, which will empty out the housing stock of the community. Empty houses rapidly become an eyesore, raise possible issues of vermin and housing decay and, over time, permanent residents will see their property values deteriorate.”
“Third, any workforce reductions at the university that may occur as the result of the Covid-19 crisis will create drops in local income tax collections, which serve as the base of funding for municipal finances, and which would intensify the impact of state funding reductions. As a result, permanent residents will witness a decline in non-essential services such as street cleaning and road repair. Over time, residents will be asked to increase their tax burden to stave off reductions in more essential services related to public safety such as fire, police, and EMS,” Dr. Rousmaniere concluded.
Over time, residents will be asked to increase their tax burden to stave off reductions in more … [+]
Mark Huncik is a resident of State College, Pennsylvania — the host community for Penn State University — and is president of the Highlands Civic Association, a neighborhood group serving community members who live near the Penn State campus. Speaking of community members such as himself, he stated that “permanent residents continue to pay taxes that support the base infrastructure and health programs of these towns. Since most universities are tax-exempt and most students don’t pay earned income taxes, the burden to provide essential services falls upon the residents in the form of their earned income tax and property tax, and in many cases, donations, especially to emergency services.”
Presented with the idea that State College could become a “ghost town,” Mr. Huncik went on to say, “I guess permanent residents are the real ‘ghosts’ in this case as they are largely overlooked, while also potentially being the most adversely impacted by the spread of a virus. We have a listserv that is part of our neighborhood association, and we are seeing a lot of anxiety in the community. Community members, including those university employees who live among us, are on the edge of their seats about the influx of students, faculty, and staff members who are returning, and they are wondering if everyone, and especially the students who will be living off campus, will do their part in terms of maintaining public health.”
Community members are wondering if students are going to do their part in terms of maintaining … [+]
The key here would seem to require a delicate balancing act, one that demands the delivery of some basic protections regarding the health of permanent residents while simultaneously transitioning students safely back to campuses. Lisa Dvorak is the Community Liaison for the City of San Marcos, Texas — host of Texas State University — and previously served as this community’s Assistant Chief of Police. As the immediate past president of the International Town Gown Association, she has a keen understanding of the complexities surrounding the balance of campus-community issues. “At the end of the day, there is a fundamental disconnect between many universities and their host communities. The Covid-19 pandemic has served to highlight this separation. While it may be in the institution’s best interest financially to bring students back this semester, it may not be in the best interest of city residents from a public health perspective. So, the main question surrounds how the campus and the community are working together on these issues.”
Regarding the viewpoint of permanent residents, Ms. Dvorak noted that these citizens tend to believe most students are not invested in the well-being of the community, but rather see themselves as visitors (and act accordingly). The best way to protect the health of the community, therefore, is to work directly with those individuals who hold positions of authority. “Because most of the off-campus residences surrounding Texas State University are purpose built student housing, this requires the development of strong relationships with property managers. We have to find out what their practices are going to look like in terms of mask use and social distancing. No one wants an outbreak in their residential units, of course. But we want to make certain that these property managers are being as proactive as possible in amplifying the public health messages being sent by the campus and community.”
Ultimately, the prediction that college towns will turn into “ghost towns” seems to hinge largely on the behavior of the college students themselves. From a slightly different angle, one also might surmise that the physical, mental, and economic health of those citizens who reside in municipalities such as Oxford, State College, and San Marcos rests on how well large groups of young adults are going to adhere to public health guidelines. If the forecasts given by experts on human behavior are anywhere near the mark, this could become a very frightening period of time for the permanent residents of these and other college towns.
