What comes to mind when someone says “college town”? Do you think of Ogden? I do. The sign on Washington Boulevard that reads “It Pays to Live in Ogden, Home of Weber State University” affirms I live in a town that takes pride in its local university. It makes me feel part of a community I want to give back to.

This fall marks the 10-year anniversary of Mayor Mike Caldwell and former WSU President Chuck Wight signing a College Town Charter committing the city and university “to mutually pursue economic, educational, recreational, social and cultural initiatives together.” This charter formalized the partnership and provided a structure to sustain relationships and coordination.

This college town journey actually began the previous summer, however, when stars aligned: Damian Lillard, now NBA star, and Bill Cook, a community star.

On June 20, 2012, Cook, then executive director for Ogden City Council, started wearing purple every day. (He hasn’t stopped since. That’s 4,163 days straight!) Lillard’s NBA draft party, co-hosted by Ogden and WSU on June 28, 2012, reminded our community that there is a special relationship between Ogden and WSU.

By August 2012, Cook was asking a small group of city and university leaders if Ogden was a college town. Exploration ensued, resulting in the creation and adoption of the College Town Charter a year later on Oct. 1, 2013.

Our college town is one “in which the local university and the city work together to create a better environment for everyone,” to quote what the International Town & Gown Association recently said about Ogden.

For example, an early college town collaboration involved the university and city partnering to restore a 1920s building that we now know as Weber State Downtown. Another early endeavor involved co-led conversations about how to best create connections among the many cultural groups in our community. The result? The creation of Ogden City’s Diversity Commission.

Have you noticed a “purpling up” of Ogden over the last 10 years? Local businesses proudly display Weber State pennants, flags and gear in their establishments, some of whom have been honored to receive the “Wildcat Choice Award.” Weber State flags surround the municipal block downtown and banners hang on street poles along 25th Street and Harrison Boulevard. And nothing says “college town” more than painted streets during homecoming week.

The city and university continue to co-sponsor cultural events and initiatives, like bringing Ballet Folclórico Guadalajara and Mariachi Femenil Estrella de México to Ogden for the past two summers to celebrate Mexican tradition in our community. And the Dumke Arts Plaza is an excellent example of how this collaboration transformed a blighted property into an innovative civic space focused on art in Ogden’s dynamic Nine Rails Creative District.

More recently, the College Town Coalition, as this partnership is now called, set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. The university has shared its experts to create an Energy Wise Ogden Strategic Implementation Plan, and develop and administer a citywide survey to determine interest in the Community Renewable Energy Program. The city and WSU have also collaborated to build three net-zero homes in Ogden and jointly lead the city’s Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Committee.

For a commuter-campus like WSU, our students are the community. The vast majority live, work and play off campus. It’s hard to know where the university stops and the city starts. The new Ogden Express bus rapid transit further stitches the city and campus together. Increasing public transportation options to move residents and employees more effectively and sustainably between downtown and the university has been a focus of the College Town Coalition from its inception.

With Election Day approaching, and a change in the Ogden City administration certain, one may worry about the future of our college town collaboration. I don’t. I know the college town commitment is bigger than any one administration. It has spanned two WSU presidents already without missing a beat. Hats off to Mayor Caldwell and his administration for providing continuity during WSU leadership transitions. Now it’s time for WSU to return the favor.

At the Ogden City Council meeting on Dec. 12, 2023, a new joint resolution will be signed by Ogden City’s new mayor and WSU’s president, Brad Mortensen, symbolizing a recommitment of the city and university to each other. I hope you’ll join us as we honor and celebrate the past 10 years of collaboration and solidify our future together.

Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski is a sociologist and vice provost for High Impact Educational Experiences, Faculty Excellence, International and Graduate Programs at Weber State University.

Newsletter