New Intercollegiate Group Aims to Make Worcester’s Student Market More Visible, Vibrant

WORCESTER, Mass. – A new citywide collegiate student group that will provide a sounding board for private and public sector organizations seeking to tap into Worcester’s huge student market was announced today at a 3 p.m. press conference in the Fuller Conference Room at the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce, 339 Main St.

Worcester Intercollegiate Government (WIG) is an organization representing students from Worcester’s nine colleges and universities.

“With 30,000 students and a permanent population of nearly 176,000 residents, Worcester rivals places like Boston and Cambridge as a college town,” said Patrick Murray, a senior at the College of the Holy Cross who serves as WIG’s chair. “The City, through the UniverCity Partnership, has stressed economic development as a top priority. We feel that Worcester’s college students are a critical component to that development. Making student leaders available to businesses, developers and municipal officials allows for the necessary communication that will help Worcester succeed. Students are interested in being a part of the Worcester community and this provides them with an outlet.”

Murray said WIG was developed to serve the Worcester community, individual colleges, and student governments. Its principal goals include:

• Promoting economic development in the downtown area • Formation of a student “think tank” • Serving in a student advisory capacity on municipal policy issues • Increasing focus and participation in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium and intercollegiate activities

The establishment of WIG was the major recommendation of a white paper developed last spring by two Holy Cross students, Nicholas Buonome ’06 and Murray, who assessed past strategies for capitalizing on Worcester’s position as a college town. The students convened a committee of representatives from Worcester’s colleges and universities to identify the city’s strengths and shortcomings when it comes to attracting the student market. A 2002 study by the Worcester Consortium concluded that students and visitors to the city’s colleges and universities inject more that $300 million annually into the local economy. The question, said Murray, was how to improve on that.

According to Murray, each institution will appoint a representative to WIG who will be charged with communicating with the student body. Members will also be available to participate in focus groups and to provide input on cultural, policy, transportation and economic development issues. WIG will also provide a point of contact for people interested in accessing student opinion.

“The creation of the Worcester Intercollegiate Government will provide the business community and the city administration with a unique vehicle to participate in ongoing dialogue with Worcester’s college student population and to solicit valuable student input on issues that are critical to the development and revitalization of the City.  The Worcester UniverCity Partnership is grateful to the students from the College of the Holy Cross who had the vision and determination to implement their concept into a working organization and we are looking forward to collaborating with WIG on future projects,” said Julie A. Jacobson, assistant city manager for economic and neighborhood development.

“The creators of WIG have taken a lot of research and analysis, and come up with a clear description of how the city can capitalize on the vast numbers of students who attend its Colleges while, at the same time, creating a more attractive place for students to shop and recreate,” said Armand Carriere, executive director of the UniverCity Partnership and an advisor to the organization. “They have created a sustainable, effective model that should bring tangible benefits to the city of Worcester.”

According to a 2006 Worcester Regional Research Bureau Report, Worcester is losing its educated young people, said Paul Giorgio, president of Pagio Inc. and publisher of Pulse Magazine. While 41 percent of its students come from the area, only 38 percent of all college students plan to stay in the area after they graduate resulting in a net loss of population. “An increased young population is critical to the economic stability and growth of central Massachusetts,” he said. “We have to end the brain drain and encourage people when they graduate to make Worcester their home.”

Participating students represent Assumption College, Clark University, Becker College, Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester State College, Quinsigamond Community College, University of Massachusetts Medical School and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

* * *

For more information contact:

Patrick Murray ’07, Chair Holy Cross Worcester Collegiate Government 303-564-0029 plmurr07@holycross.edu

Armand Carriere, Executive Director UniverCity Partnership 508-753-2924 carriere@univercitypartnership.org

Jonathan Weaver ’06 Assumption College 860-933-0060 weaver.jon@gmail.com