Academic Settings

Town and gown. That is what they call the relationship between college and community in towns across America. But in Southern California, there is not just one college in the urban landscape but scores of them of various sizes. And here, as in other areas, the relationship can range from love to hate. Communities like students’ spending power but often frown on youthful rowdiness. Here are overviews from three Orange County campuses:

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Ryan Heller was girding for culture shock when he left Portland, Ore., for Chapman University. But once he got settled into the university’s dorms and acquainted with the area, Heller said he felt right at home in the city of Orange.

“They do a good job of making it feel like a college town,” the 20-year-old junior said of the city known for its efforts to preserve small-town friendliness. “So many places welcome our business. They cater to a younger clientele.”

Heller especially likes that many of the local pizza places, cafes, barber shops and restaurants offer student discounts.

For Melanie Hart, Orange is home. She grew up there and decided to get her college education at the neighborhood university, which has 3,800 students. The 27-year-old senior said the city is becoming even more of a university town.

“There are more bars, cafes, thrift stores. There are less expensive places than there used to be, so it’s changing,” Hart said. “It’s good for the school because it will make students want to come here.”

But commuter student Sara Ward isn’t sold on the surroundings of the campus, which is perhaps Orange County’s most established university. The 20-year-old from Santa Ana said she is disappointed that the city won’t allow housing for sororities and fraternities.

“The college is built in the middle of a neighborhood,” the junior complained. “I would be here more if there were [sorority] houses.”

Her comments echo some historical tensions between Old Towne Orange residents and the liberal arts college, which in 1954 relocated from a Los Angeles campus to Orange.

Student parking in surrounding neighborhoods has been a cause for controversy, as have excessive traffic and noise during and after school hours, particularly for special events. Civic leaders also have tangled with the university over expansion plans and building designs that weren’t considered a good fit for Old Towne.

But over the last decade, university and city officials have worked at building a better relationship. Today, collaborative efforts are commonplace and representatives of the various groups meet regularly, campus officials say.

“It’s really an ongoing effort,” said Cathi Douglas, Chapman’s director of public relations. “We have really concentrated on being attentive to the community and reaching out to them and also acting. In the past, we did not always have that reputation or philosophy.”

Neighborhood newsletters, a 24-hour hotline and community meetings once a semester are offered by the college to maintain communication with residents.

Students do their share of community outreach too.

Those who participate in any of the more than 50 clubs are required to fulfill community service requirements to earn funding for any organization, and during freshman orientation in the fall students take part in the Into the Streets program, providing service to schools or parks.

The university also invites the public to attend athletic events and top-notch concerts and productions at an inexpensive price, Chapman spokeswoman Ruth Wardwell said.

“We look at ourselves as an integral part of the Orange community,” she said. “We are a wealth of cultural and education resources.”

From the merchants’ point of view, things are going great guns for the downtown mix of eateries, antique shops and other businesses.

“I think the impact Chapman has on the city is wonderful,” said Barbara deBoom, president and chief executive of the Orange Chamber of Commerce. “As they grow, we find out what their needs are and satisfy those needs.”