Westfield State University, City of Westfield to hold second meeting on partnership initiative

Representatives from Westfield State University and the City of Westfield will hold its second community meeting related to its University-City Partnerships initiative on October 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in Scanlon Banquet Hall at Westfield State University.  

The second meeting follows a well-attended initial meeting over the summer where Westfield Mayor Mike McCabe and Westfield State University President Linda Thompson invited city officials, university faculty and staff, city residents and students to brainstorm ideas on how the City and University can work together to share resources and build better partnerships.  

The aim of the initial session, hosted by Westfield on Weekends, was to enhance the cultural and social relationship between the two entities, and develop stronger communication between the WSU community and the City’s businesses and residents.  

Both Mayor McCabe and President Thompson were encouraged by the response of the meeting and plan to identify next steps in creating stronger partnerships between the city and the University.  

“The enthusiasm and genuine interest in combining resources was palpable,” said Thompson. There was a true sense of spirit and energy that spoke to the character and integrity of Westfield residents, its business community and our students, faculty, and staff. We are all proud to part of Westfield. We are all good neighbors.”  

McCabe said, “My focus has always been to make the City a destination for students to want to live, work and play after their college life. This is an opportunity to focus on the ties that bind us together and makes us stronger as a whole. We are at a crossroads where both the City’s administration and University’s administration are striving for the same thing and we can get there together.” 

To see the results of responses to a community survey and ideas generated from the initial meeting on Aug. 18 visit www.westfieldonweekends.com