The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 1 - 56

Sean A. Grube

and goals for the student housing project, collaboration will be more harmful than helpful. In an ideal world, prior to seeking expansion past traditional campus borders, an institution will have already engaged community members in a dialogue about ongoing relations. A monthly forum that allows community leaders to present concerns to the institution and to present updates on community events and general information beneficial to both parties is ideal for opening lines of communication between the institution and the community. When the institution is prepared to begin discussion specifically about the need for expansion, the ongoing communication established in the monthly forums will prove to be an asset in moving discussions forward. It would be extremely naïve to expect that the simple presence of a monthly forum will alleviate all issues between an urban institution and the larger community that surrounds it. Unfortunately, without agreement on institutional expansion for student housing, the alternatives are not promising. Neither postponing construction nor moving ahead with the expansion without the community’s consent is an enviable task. Losing potential revenue by postponing a project or having a public debate in front of a zoning board carries inherent risks. Instead of postponing or eliminating a project, or worse—engaging in a much publicized debate—the institution should consider engaging in mediation with the community, supervised by a professional mediator. Mediation has proved a successful technique in many realms (Chandler, 1985) and should certainly be explored as a strategy to assist in moving a stalled project forward. While the cost of the mediator will likely be borne by the institu56

tion, the fees are typically not outrageous and should simply be considered a cost of doing business. A skilled mediator willing to find a solution to a complex construction problem will likely attend several community meetings to grasp the concerns of the surrounding community and will do the same for the institution.

Using institutional resources to provide the community with a desirable attraction, such as parks, light commercial, gathering spaces, etc ., is a great extension of good will. While some may argue that these projects detract from resources devoted towards the institution, in a difficult and tenuous negotiation it is simply another cost of doing business.

Ultimately, the two groups will need to bring key decision-makers together for a meeting or series of meetings to decide on the expansion issue. While the framework for mediation may sound simplistic, the actual mediation is not. There must be some level of acceptance and rejection from both parties in order to arrive at a solution that everyone can support. While neither side will get everything they desire, the outcome is surely better than a public dispute with media coverage in front of a regulatory zoning organization.

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITy STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 1