A college town’s split population
How Oxford balances student-resident relations
By Riley Peters
Miami University journalism student
The partnership between a campus and community in a college town is vital for the two groups to not only coexist, but also to thrive.
There are between 300 and 700 “college towns” in the United States, depending on the source. These are towns which are economically, demographically and culturally dominated by a college.
College towns face a unique set of problems — keeping campus and residential cultures separate and unique, while still blending them to create a space in which both groups are part of a cohesive community.
Oxford, Ohio, home to Miami University, is no exception to these struggles. Almost every aspect of campus culture and community culture are different. From age to lifestyle to basic interests, it is easy to see a rift between students and community members.
According to Enjoy Oxford, a nonprofit dedicated to developing the city of Oxford with events for students and residents alike, Miami students make up nearly three-fourths of Oxford’s population. With an enrollment of nearly 18,000, students dominate the year-round resident population of 7,000.
Because of this population disparity, Miami students can impact the culture and atmosphere of Oxford.
Assistant Vice President for Student Life at Miami Scott Walter said that one of his main goals is to “mobilize students to really have a community engagement impact on Oxford.”
That engagement is important as he notes that Oxford businesses often work to meet their annual sales goals in the eight or nine months students are in town.
“Community building starts from day one,” Walter says. “If students find their community, they’re going to stay here and graduate. If they don’t find community, it’s very easy to pick up and leave.”
Finding events that are attractive to both students and residents is a challenge.
“I think the first challenge is actually getting them to interact with each other,” Walter says.
When envisioning the “college experience,” most students don’t picture community integration events or building relationships with their local community.
Convincing students to take advantage of the resources Oxford has to offer is a more difficult feat than one might think.
Heidi Schiller, Executive Director of the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC), said that the nonprofit has trouble bringing students in.
“One of the main challenges that we have is none of the students want to walk down this far,” Schiller says. Being at the west end of High St., Schiller says, creates a “practical barrier” for students.
“We’re on the opposite end of the world to the university,” she says.
In addition to practical barriers, Schiller also said the “perceived barriers” prevent students from visiting OCAC.
“Many times a student will look at [OCAC] and go, ‘Well, that’s not for me. That’s sort of hoity-toity. They don’t want someone like me there,’” Schiller says.
“That’s so far from the truth. It’s so far from the truth. We absolutely want people of all walks, of all genders, of all diversity, of all races. I can’t even tell you how many ‘alls’ I can put in one sentence.”
Connecting with students is a priority at OCAC.
“There are more students than there are Oxford townspeople. So it just makes economic sense for us to get the students involved,” Schiller says. “Beyond that, we want to be good neighbors with our students. We want to be good neighbors with Miami.”
Sophomore Bailee VonStein has lived near Oxford her entire life. As a commuter and a Miami student, she experiences both sides of campus and community.
“It’s a completely different college experience,” VonStein says.
Community building at Miami “starts from day one, from Make it Miami,” according to Walter.
New residential students at Miami are afforded several on-campus events for connecting with peers and community immersion in Oxford. From Make it Miami to orientation and welcome weekend, incoming students understand the importance of community at Miami.
Commuter students, however, often feel like they don’t have the same experience.
“I was expecting college age to look a whole lot more fun at first,” VonStein says. “I didn’t get to experience Welcome weekend. I didn’t get a lot of the new college events.”
Although VonStein didn’t need to assimilate into the culture of Oxford, entering a college atmosphere is a major transition in its own right.
“It’s really hard to change into adulthood, because when you’re staying on a campus, you’re kind of thrown into it. When you’re a commuter, you’ve still got your foot in your hometown,” VonStein says.
Despite this difficult transition, VonStein found her community at Miami after changing her major and joining clubs, which she said is “absolutely the best thing you can do as a commuter.”
“Just take one for the team and waste some gas so you can go out one night,” VonStein says. “It’s definitely worth it.”
As an Oxford native, VonStein knows the resources and places that Oxford has to offer. She said the bus system should be expanded for students.
“There’s just so many other places it could offer that would be beneficial to students,” VonStein says.
Walter also said that students should try to explore more of Oxford in their four years at Miami.
“Most of our students don’t know that west of those train tracks exist,” Walter says. “The number of times I talk with students that are juniors or seniors that have never ventured past there, it blows my mind.”
Schiller says she thinks if students would just try exploring Oxford away from the university, they’d find something to keep going back to.
“I feel like if I could just get them to come through the door and see what we’re all about, I could get them to come back,” Schiller says.
Walter and Schiller both suggest that campus and community integration is crucial to the success of a college town.
Walter says he thinks events uptown sponsored by City of Oxford or Enjoy Oxford have “really done a very good job, I think, of creating a fun environment up there for students and community members.”
VonStein also noted that Oxford’s array of local businesses brings students and residents together.
“We all have a really deep appreciation for local businesses, because most of our businesses uptown are small and local,” she says. “They make Oxford, Oxford.”
The OCAC allows students and residents to connect through the arts.
“Art is where we meet together to explore things together,” Schiller says.
“That’s what art does for us. It breaks down and meshes us. It meshes us beyond age and gender and cultural backgrounds and social and economic backgrounds.”
Not only do Miami students and Oxford residents live in the same town, but they also care for the same town.
Walter said a future goal of the Office of Student Life is to incorporate service and volunteer opportunities into the culture of Miami, in order to give back to the residents of Oxford. He urges students and community members both to simply “recognize one another.”
“One of the challenges I have to students is to make Miami and Oxford a better place four years from now when you leave than it is today,” Walter says.
“Oxford is a special place. Miami is a special place.”
