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Have a question or comment? Contact us at 515.294.3123 or e-mail amessummit@iastate.edu.

Overview

A Summit on Best Practices in Responding to Developing and Ongoing Civil Disturbances in College Communities

An Issue of Contemporary Importance. The Summit will open on Thursday, November 10, 2005 with a Framework for Action presented by Linda Langford, Sc.D. Co-Director of the Center for College Health and Safety.  Dr. Langford’s presentation will set the stage for college communities to plan more effectively for celebrations and events that can turn into civil disturbances.  Well-known researchers Clark McPhail and John McCarthy will follow with an extended review of the research literature highlighting their personal work on a data set spanning over 20 years and hundreds of events.  In addition, McCarthy and McPhail will provide an overview of the work currently in progress on this topic and direct applications of these observations to the practices of local officials.

The luncheon keynote will feature Craig Anderson, a psychologist who is frequently sought out by public policy makers based on his ongoing research into aggression.  Cynthia Buettner will highlight the Ohio State Experience—examining the specific strategies that Ohio State University has employed to initiate and sustain locally relevant, evidence-based strategies to minimize the likelihood of disturbances.  Students will be well represented with special sessions highlighting the student perspective on event management and reactions to police and community efforts to control events.  Panel presentations will examine the successful efforts of local communities as well as the impact of alcohol, zoning regulations, student involvement in decision-making and police strategies.  The session will close with a special keynote address by United States Park Police Captain Patrick Smith on collaborative planning for major public events.

A Chance to Plan. This conference will provide a special opportunity for attendees that want to initiate some planning in their own community.  Local teams will have a chance to compare notes and engage in action planning.  In order to encourage student participation in these discussions, scholarships are available to offset the registration fee.

The Summit. This Summit is designed to build on the valuable contribution of two previous national meetings on this topic.  While local communities continue to struggle with celebratory riots and mixed issue disturbances, much has been learned about how to successfully prevent civil disturbances.  Built around a solid foundation of evidence-based observations, the Summit will focus on action planning and solution-building for campus and community.  The Summit will bring together a particularly knowledgeable group of participants to explore best practices.  Conference proceedings will provide a valuable resource for local communities.

The Summit will provide the most up-to-date perspectives on event management, alcohol, zoning and student involvement through the presentations of local communities and student participants. The Summit will focus on the crucial issues of town-gown cooperation, student leadership, management of housing patterns and police strategies from practical cases. The Summit will explore the current state of the art in special event management in a manner that is useful to campus student affairs and housing staff, student leaders and event planners, campus and local law enforcement and mayors, city managers and city council members.

Best Practices Summit Learning Objectives

  • Provide a Framework for Local Action Planning and Community Change
  • Assess Current Research Findings and Examine the Characteristics of Campus-Related Disturbances
  • Outline the Factors Which Have Assisted Communities in Preventing Disturbances
  • Describe the Potential Self-Perpetuating Nature of These Events.
  • Examine the Effectiveness of Various Police Strategies in Preventing and Managing Civil Disturbances
  • Review the Community Impact of a Civil Disturbance
  • Share Case Studies of Community Change and Successful Event Management
  • Outline Key Elements on Action Plans for Local Communities Seeking to Prevent These Disturbances

Who Should Attend

The prevention of civil disturbances requires a joint effort of campus officials, students, city leaders, local residents and law enforcement—a true cross-section of the community. Therefore, team attendance is encouraged. Specifically, the Summit will benefit leadership teams from campuses, student organizations, city officials, local neighborhood groups, merchants and landlords, planning and zoning staff, liquor control officials and social scientists.

  • University Presidents
  • Student Affairs Vice Presidents
  • Deans of Students
  • Student Body Presidents and Student Leaders
  • Student Event Planners
  • Student Union Staff
  • Health Center Leaders
  • Residence Hall and Housing Staff
  • City Managers
  • Mayors and Elected Officials
  • Planning and Housing Officials
  • Neighborhood Leaders
  • Landlords
  • Campus and Community Law Enforcement
  • Social Science Faculty
  • Neighborhood Association Leaders
  • Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists
  • Registered Nurses
  • Campus Judicial Officials
  • Student Life Professionals
  • Counseling Center Leaders
  • Campus Attorneys and Legal Advisors
  • Public Relations Staff
  • Bar Owners and other Merchants