Good neighbor policy
College Town UTA embraces area residents, businesses
Alumnus Paul Wilkinson is happy to call UT Arlington his neighbor.
He lives less than a mile from the University and enjoys attending music performances, theater productions and Friends of the Library lectures. He keeps up with campus events via MavWire, the University’s e-newsletter.
The College Town UTA program connects residential and commercial neighbors with opportunities on campus
“I’ve always felt like I was part of the UT Arlington family—even after I graduated,” says the 1979 music education graduate. “Now I’m happy to see the University reaching out to the rest of the community through College Town.”
The recently launched College Town UTA program introduces University offerings to area neighbors and businesses and educates them about the transformation UT Arlington has undergone in recent years.
“Living in a college town means having a world-class university as a neighbor. It means access to diverse cultural, athletic and intellectual opportunities,” says Jerry Lewis, the University’s vice president for communications. “It means working together to make our town a better place to live, work and play.”
Long seen by some as a commuter college, UT Arlington now has nearly 7,000 students living on or within a mile of campus. With the growth in the resident student population, the number of activities on campus has increased dramatically. Many are open to the public.
College Town UTA is also designed to assist the city in its efforts to revitalize downtown. The University stands at the heart of the district.
The shared vision blends existing performing and visual arts venues, historic neighborhoods, libraries, parks, retailers, restaurants and UT Arlington, with its 28,000 students and planned Special Events Center.
“The concept of Arlington as a college town has a lot of potential to unify the community around the University and to bring people together,” says Kate Wickham, artist and director of Eclectic Expressions, an art studio and gallery on Sanford Street.
“There is the intellectual appeal and the potential for partnerships between the businesses and the University.”
The College Town UTA Web site (www.uta.edu/collegetown) provides construction updates, event announcements, discounts, children’s programming and more. Residents living within a mile receive a minimum of two newsletters a year highlighting campus projects and programs of interest. A College Town UTA e-newsletter provides monthly briefs and is available by subscription.
Another aspect of College Town UTA is the Paint the Town Blue program, which provides commercial neighbors with University resources for developing mutually beneficial business collaborations.
