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LAUREN  GINDER  &  SARAH  LUONGO   LONGWOOD  UNIVERSITY  

TAKING  ‘THE  HIGH  BRIDGE’:  BENEFITS  OF  CLIENT-­BASED   LEARNING  IN  COLLEGE  TOWNS   A  CASE  STUDY     BACKGROUNDER     This  case  study  examines  the  benefits  of  cultivating  strong  mutually  beneficial  relationships   between  higher  education  institutions  and  their  surrounding  communities;;  it  details  the  ways  in   which  a  group  of  four  Longwood  University  students  and  the  Executive  Director  of  a  local   nonprofit  organization,  The  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  have  worked  and  are  continuing  to   work  to  cultivate  lasting  relationships.    

EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY     In  the  Fall  semester  of  2013,  Longwood  University  Junior  communications  students,   Lauren  Ginder,  Sarah  Luongo,  Mason  Ramsey,  and  Erik  Obst  embarked  on  a  semester  long   project  with  the  local  non  profit  organization  in  their  community,  Farmville  Downtown   Partnership.  The  project  was  for  a  class  titled,  Communication  364,  Applied  Organizational   Communications  (COMM  364);;  the  student  team  was  tasked  with  the  responsibility  of  creating  a   strategic  communications  plan  to  meet  a  client's  goal  and/or  need.  The  student  team  selected   the  recently  established  nonprofit  organization,  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  to  serve  as   their  client.  When  the  students  began  working  with  the  organization,  they  identified  an  ongoing   problem  the  organization  was  experiencing;;  a  lack  of  effective  communication  between  the   Farmville  Downtown  District  and  Longwood  University  students.  Throughout  the  course  of  the   semester,  the  student  team  from  COMM  364  actively  worked  and  strategized  to  improve  the   communication  between  Longwood  University  students  and  Downtown  Farmville  in  order  to   cultivate  a  strong  mutually  beneficial  relationship  between  the  two  entities.      

A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  FARMVILLE  &  LONGWOOD  UNIVERSITY     The  Town  of  Farmville,  Virginia  was  established  in  Prince  Edward  County  in  1798  and   emerged  as  the  center  of  commerce,  education,  and  law  for  the  area’s  seven  surrounding   counties.  Farmville  thrived  as  a  town  with  a  superior  market  of  loose  leaf  tobacco  and  

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manufacturing  (Johns  &  Company,  1888).  Farmville,  with  a  current  population  of  8,216,  was  and   still  is,  the  largest  town  between  the  larger  Virginian  cities  of  Lynchburg  and  Richmond  (Farmville   Area  Chamber  of  Commerce,  n.d.  &  Town  of  Farmville,  n.d.).  In  the  1850’s,  due  to  Farmville’s   location,  it  became  a  stop  along  the  South  Side  railroad  that  connected  Lynchburg  and   Petersburg.  The  railroad  system  played  an  important  role  in  Farmville’s  development  and  history.   In  the  1870’s  -­  1880’s  the  railroad  expanded  and  merged  with  other  railroad  routes  in  the  country,   and  became  known  as  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railroad  .  However,  in  1982,  the  maintenance  of   the  railroad  bridge  that  crossed  over  the  Appomattox  River,  High  Bridge,  became  too  much  of  an   expense,  therefore  the  railroad’s  use  and  route  were  significantly  reduced  and  eventually   abandoned  (Longwood  University,  2014).  The  town  of  Farmville  began  to  experience  a  decline  in   economic  development  in  a  few  years  prior  to  the  railroad's  closure.  In  1974  when  federal   regulations  were  put  in  place  on  the  town’s  major  industry,  tobacco  the  town  began  to  suffer  (H.   Person,  personal  communication,  April  16,  2014).   During  the  course  of  Farmville’s  history,  a  major  development  occurred  in  1839,  when   the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia  decided  to  establish  a  “female  seminary”  in  the  town  of  Farmville,   Virginia.  This  all  female  seminary  became  known  as  The  Farmville  Female  Seminary,  and  later   the  Farmville  Female  College.  It  opened  with  the  intention  of  educating  young  women  and   providing  a  “home-­like”  atmosphere  (Rosemary  Sprague  1989).  The  institution  has  been  called   many  names-­  State  Normal  School  for  Women  in  1914,  The  State  Teachers  College  at   Farmville  in  1924,  Longwood  College  in  1949,  and  finally  Longwood  University  in  2002.  The   University  was  sex-­segregated  until  1976,  the  year  that  the  college  began  accepting  male   students.  This  was  just  two  years  after  the  railroad  began  to  deplete.  Since  then,  the  University   has  continued  to  grow,  change,  and  adapt  to  the  changing  world  around  Farmville,  Virginia.   During  the  course  of  the  university’s  growth  and  evolution,  the  relationship  between  the   Longwood  University  community  and  the  Farmville  community  has  become  strained  and   communication  minimized.  As  a  result  of  the  diminished  railroad  and  success  of  Longwood   sex-­integration,  the  two  communities  operate  separately,  rather  than  working  together.  

  CLIENT  BASED  LEARNING:  Creating  Mutually  Beneficial  Between   Academia  &  Community     Academia  no  longer  has  to  be  confined  to  the  four  walls  of  a  classroom.  With  increased   technology  and  emphasis  on  client  based  learning,  also  known  as,  service  learning,  students  are  

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presented  with  opportunities  to  enhance  their  learning  and  professional  development  well  beyond   the  physical  walls  of  a  classroom.  Client  based  learning,  according  to  Addams  et  al.  (2010),   occurs  when  assignments  in  the  classroom  are  specifically  designed  to  promote  student   interaction  with  business  professionals.  Client  based  learning  facilitates  opportunities  for  both  the   client  and  students  to  benefit.  For  the  students,  this  interaction  provides  hands-­on  experience   with  the  cushion  that  academia  can  provide,  room  for  failure  without  repercussions.  Client  based   learning  provides  extra  motivation  for  students  to  perform  because  they  have  the  desire  to  see   their  efforts  in  a  tangible  way.  While  students  are  able  to  apply  their  classroom  knowledge  in  “the   real  world”,  they  learn  the  value  of  “social  responsibility  and  the  importance  of  community   involvement”  (Addams  et  al.  2010).     As  previously  stated,  students  are  not  the  only  beneficiaries  in  client-­based  learning   settings,  the  client  also  benefits.  Community  clients  benefit  from  having  a  supply  of  a  dependable   work-­force,  who  have  new  perspectives  and  ideas.  Both  the  client  and  the  student  can  learn   from  one  another  and  gain  a  tangible  take-­aways  from  the  partnership.     There  are  also  benefits  beyond  higher  education,  these  civically  engaging  projects  allow   students  to  begin  to  understand  the  transition  from  university  standards  to  workplace  standards.   According  to  King  &  Polenghi  (2014)  situated  learning,  which  can  be  used  in  accordance  with   client  based  learning,  is  learning  that  we  do  outside  of  the  classroom  and  in  the  context,  this   broadens  students’  worldview  and  allows  them  to  “walk  a  mile  in  someone  else’s  shoes”.  This  is   beneficial  because  it  allows  for  creative,  critical,  problem  solving  to  occur,  as  well  as  beneficial   experience  within  context,  a  necessary  skill  for  entering  the  workplace.

 

 

LONGWOOD  UNIVERSITY:  Citizen  Leadership  &  Applied   Organizational  Communication     Longwood  University,  located  in  Farmville,  VA,  utilizes  principles  of  situated/client-­based   learning  into  their  curriculum.  For  example,  Longwood  University  has  structured  it’s  learning   focus  around  citizen  involvement  and  leadership.  Longwood  also  places  great  emphasis  on   hands-­on  learning,  and  finding  the  balance  between  education,  values,  and  service.  When  these   three  join  together,  they  create  a  “citizen  leader”  and  thus,  create  a  positive  impact  on  the   surrounding  society  (Longwood  University,  2014).  The  institution  has  implemented  programs,   organizations,  and  classes  into  the  curriculum  that  cater  specifically  to  the  civic  mindset.  

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The  Longwood  University  course,  Communication  364:  Applied  Organizational   Communication  (COMM  364),  is  designed  with  the  institution's  citizen  leadership  philosophy  in   mind.  It’s  focus  is  to  help  students  develop  advanced,  professional,  communication  skills  that   are  present  in  the  business  and  professional  realm.  This  course’s  objective  is  for  students  to   learn  collaborative  meeting  management  skills,  develop  team  presentations,  and  seek  change  in   their  surrounding  environment.  This  course  requires  student  teams  to  aid  a  community  client  in   achieving  a  specific  goal  by  creating  a  tangible,  viable,  strategic  communication  plan.     For  the  purpose  of  this  class,  student  team,  Lauren  Ginder,  Sarah  Luongo,  Mason   Ramsey,  and  Erik  Obst,  partnered  with  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  and  worked  with   the  organization’s  Executive  Director,  Helen  Person,  to  create  a  tangible  communication  plan   that  caters  specifically  to  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  and  Longwood  University  needs   and  goals.  

  FARMVILLE  DOWNTOWN  PARTNERSHIP     The  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  was  established  at  the  beginning  of  2012  as  an   extension  of  the  Virginia  Main  Street  (VMS)  Program  in  Farmville,  Virginia.  The  mission  of  the   Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  is  to  “bring  together  the  residents,  merchants,  and  students  of   Farmville  to  preserve  downtown’s  role  as  the  center  of  our  historic  community,  and  to  plan  for   the  future  of  Farmville  as  an  exciting  and  profitable  place  to  live,  learn,  open  a  business,  and   visit”  (Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  2014).  Along  with  the  mission,  the  Farmville  Downtown   Partnership  has  established  a  vision  for  the  organization  to  work  towards.  The  following  vision   points  are  adapted  directly  from  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  website.     ●

to  preserve  the  historical  character  of  a  small  college  town  and  to  promote  the   economic  and  cultural  vitality  of  its  future.  

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to  develop  the  commercial  and  cultural  heart  of  this  college  community  by  preserving   its  historical  appeal  while  promoting  a  future  of  bright  economic  prospects  for   merchants  and  vibrant  entertainment  and  recreational  opportunities  for  residents  and   visitors.  

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to  help  enrich  the  economic  and  cultural  quality  of  life  for  Farmville’s  residents,   students,  merchants,  and  visitors  by  building  on  its  historical  appeal  and  helping  to   realize  its  commercial,  residential,  and  entertainment  potential.  

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to  capitalize  on  the  pride  and  enthusiasm  of  Farmville’s  residents  and  merchants  in   order  to  develop  a  stronger  community  spirit  (Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,   2014).  

In  order  to  achieve  their  mission  and  vision,  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  is   organized  into  four  distinct  committees;;  Design,  Economic  Restructuring,  Promotion,  and   Organization.  Each  committee  is  tasked  with  specific  responsibilities  to  aid  in  achieving  the   partnership’s  overall  mission  and  vision.  The  following  is  a  brief  description  of  the  different   committees  and  their  responsibilities.     1. Design  -­  Facade  rehabilitation,  display  and  merchandising  assistance,  downtown  decor     2. Economic  Restructuring  -­  Entrepreneur  support  and  program  development     3. Promotion  -­  Community  events,  and  retail  and  business  promotion   4. Organization  -­  Fund  development,  volunteer  management,  brand  management  and   marketing   Each  committee  is  meets  a  minimum  of  once  a  month  at  the  Virginia’s  Heartland  Visitor’s  Center   to  plan  for  and  evaluate  committee  efforts  (Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  2014).     In  the  Fall  of  2013,  The  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership’s  mission  and  Longwood   University’s  focus  of  learning  began  to  line  up  when  the  Longwood  University  student  team  from   COMM  364  and  the  Executive  Director  of  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  created  a   strategic  play  to  work  towards  the  goal  of  cultivating  a  strong  mutually  beneficial  relationship   between  Farmville  Downtown  and  Longwood  University  students.    

  TIME  LINE   Early  2012     ●

Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  established    

Summer  2013   ●

One  student  from  Longwood  University  volunteered  for  two  weeks  in  the  Farmville   Downtown  Partnership  office    

August  2013     ●

First  day  of  COMM  364:  Applied  Organizational  Communications,  semester  long  student   teams  are  established    

 

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September  2013     ●

Team  members;;  Lauren  Ginder,  Sarah  Luongo,  Mason  Ramsey,  Erik  Obst,  select   Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  as  focus  of  the  semester  long  project    

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COMM  364  group  makes  initial  contact  with  the  Executive  Director  of  the  Farmville   Downtown  Partnership,  Helen  Person    

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The  student  team  identifies  an  organizational  problem:  a  lack  of  effective  communication   between  the  Town  of  Farmville  and  Longwood  University  students  

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Students  identify  goal:  to  cultivate  a  stronger  mutually  beneficial  relationship  between  the   students  of  Longwood  University  and  Farmville  Downtown    

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Students  volunteer  with  Farmville  Downtown  at  Longwood  University’s  event,  “Rock  the   Block”,  to  survey  students  about  their  communication  patterns  and  downtown  interests    

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Sarah  Luongo  and  Erik  Obst  attend  the  Farmville  Downtown’s  Promotions  Committee   monthly  

October  2013     ●

Sarah  Luongo  and  Erik  Obst  attend  the  monthly  Promotions  Committee  meeting    

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All  members  of  the  COMM  364  student  team  volunteer  to  help  with  the  organization’s   Downtown  Halloween  Parade  preparations    

November  2013     ●

Through  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  students  partner  the  student  organization   PRSSA,  formerly  Longwood  University  Public  Relations  Organization  (LUPR),  with  the   Farmville  Lion’s  Club,  to  design  a  float  to  be  featured  in  the  town’s  Christmas  Parade    

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Sarah  Luongo  and  Erik  Obst  attend  the  Promotions  Committee’s  monthly  meeting    

December  2013     ●

Students  present  research  and  tactics  to  COMM  364  class    

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Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  approves  budget  for  2014  to  include  funding  for  a   Halloween  event  and  spirits  tour  that  was  proposed  by  the  COMM  364  student  team   earlier  in  the  fall    

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All  members  of  the  student  team  are  offered  internships  with  the  Farmville  Downtown   Partnership.    

January  2014     ●

Two  student  interns  (one  from  the  organizational  communications  class  and  one  non   communications  student)  from  Longwood  University  begin  150  hour  internships  with  the   Farmville  Downtown  Partnership    

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March  2014   ●

Student  interns  are  given  full  access  to  social  media  accounts  

April  2014     ●

Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  receives  two  inquiries  about  interning  with  the   partnership  in  Fall  2014  

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Sarah  Luongo  and  Lauren  Ginder  decided  to  evaluate  the  previous  strategies  and  tactics   in  comparison  to  their  success  in  reaching  the  students  of  Longwood  University  

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Three  Longwood  University  students  accept  internships  for  Summer  2014  with  the   Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  

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Four  Longwood  University  students  accept  internship  positions  with  the  Farmville   Downtown  Partnership  for  Fall  2014  

  TACTICS   After  spending  time  in  the  office  and  on  campus,  the  students  were  able  to  gain  a  better   idea  of  what  sort  of  changes  should  take  place  to  improve  the  flow  of  communication  between   the  two  cultures.  The  COMM  364  student  team  created  the  following  strategic  plan  to  achieve   their  goal  of  building  a  stronger  mutually  beneficial  relationship  between  Farmville  Downtown  and   Longwood  University  students.       Objective  1:  Build  trust  between  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  and  Longwood  University   students     ●

Strategy:  Actively  participate  in  activities  pertaining  to  and  planned  by  the  Farmville   Downtown  Partnership  

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Tactics:     ○

Volunteer  at  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership’s  booth  at  the  Longwood   University  event,  Rock  The  Block.   ■

Rock  The  Block  is  a  block  party  held  for  the  residents  of  Farmville,    and   the  students,  faculty  and  staff  of  Longwood  University.  This  party  is  a   result  of  The  Town  of  Farmville  and  Longwood  University  partnering  to   allow  businesses  owners  and  organizations  within  the  surrounding  area  to   reach  out  to  students  and  vice  versa.  

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Volunteer  for  Downtown’s  Halloween  Parade  preparation    

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Attend  monthly  meetings  with  the  Promotions  Committee    

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Meet  on  a  regular  basis  with  the  Executive  Director  and  Promotions  Committee   Chair  

  Objective  2:  Create  a  long  lasting,  mutually  beneficial  partnership  with  Farmville  Downtown  and   Longwood  University  students  beyond  the  Fall  2013  semester.     ●

Strategy:  Develop  and  implement  opportunities  for  Longwood  University  students  to   become  involved  with  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  

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Tactics:     ○

Develop  and  implement  an  internship  program  for  Longwood  University  students   in  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  offices  

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Propose  a  Halloween  event  that  students  can  help  plan  and  implement  as  well  as   attend  

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Partner  Longwood  University  student  organizations  with  local  organizations  to   collaborate    

  EVALUATION     During  the  Spring  2014  semester  at  Longwood  University,  members  of  the  Fall  2014   COMM  364  student  team,  Lauren  Ginder  and  Sarah  Luongo,  decided  to  evaluate  their  efforts  in   regards  to  their  client,  Farmville  Downtown.  The  two  students  started  writing  a  case  study  that   measures  the  success  of  the  tactical  plan  they  created  in  relation  to  its  goals.  The  student  team   strived  to  achieve  their  first  objective  of,  building  trust  between  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership   and  Longwood  University  students.  Over  the  course  of  the  four  month  semester,  the  team   strategized  to  actively  participated  in  activities  pertaining  to  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership.   Volunteerism  was  important  because  prior  to  this  plan,  Downtown  had  not  received  many   Longwood  student  volunteers.  The  student  team  first  broke  the  mold,  when  they  volunteered  to   work  on  behalf  of  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  at  the  Longwood  University  event,  Rock   the  Block.  COMM  364  team  members,  Erik  Obst  and  Sarah  Luongo,  stayed  at  the  booth  for  two   hours,  promoting  Farmville’s  downtown  district  and  collecting  student’s  contact  information.   They  collected  the  phone  number  and  email  address  of  141  Longwood  University  students  so   that  the  Partnership’s  Executive  Director  would  have  a  student  contact  list  to  send  out   information  about  the  Partnership’s  activities.    

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The  student  team’s  next  initiative  was  to  volunteer  again,  in  order  to  show  consistency.   This  time,  the  team  worked  within  the  Partnership’s  office  to  stuff  candy  bags  to  be  given  out  to   children  attending  the  Farmville  Downtown  Halloween  Parade  that  was  to  be  held  the  following   afternoon.  In  accordance  with  this  effort,  in  November;;  Sarah  Luongo,  Erik  Obst,  and  Mason   Ramsey  provided  their  labor  to  the  Farmville  Lion’s  Club  and  helped  them  construct  their  float  for   the  Farmville  Christmas  Parade  that  took  place  on  December  1st.  In  addition  to  these  volunteer   efforts,  Luongo  and  Obst  attended  three  of  the  Promotion  Committee’s  monthly  meetings;;  held   the  third  Tuesday  of  every  month  at  8am.     Overall  the  COMM  364  student  team  was  able  to  achieve  their  first  objective  of   establishing  a  good  rapport  and  trust  with  the  Farmville  Downtown  organization.  It  was  important   that  the  students  embedded  themselves  within  the  town’s  culture.  According  to  Helen  Person’s   idea  of  the  Farmville  culture,  “it’s  personal  and  everyone  does  business  with  their  neighbors...It’s   important  to  understand  that  everyone  is  essential  to  the  community.”  (H.  Person,  personal   communication,  April  24,  2014).  When  the  student  team  situated  themselves  not  only  in  the   office,  but  within  the  town  of  Farmville,  the  students  created  and  maintained  trust  within  the   Partnership’s  office,  and  the  Farmville  community.  This  Objective’s  success  was  vital  to  the   success  of  the  team’s  second  objective,  creating  a  long  lasting  partnership  with  Farmville   Downtown  and  Longwood  University  students  beyond  the  Fall  2013  semester.  Members  of  the   student  team  report  that  volunteering  and  working  with  the  organization  helped  them  to  learn   about  maintaining  power  distant  interpersonal  relationships,  organizational  structure,  and  the   importance  of  commitment  in  a  professional  environment.     When  the  COMM  364  team  regularly  met  with  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership’s   Executive  Director,  they  would  often  brainstorm  possible  events  and  opportunities.  One  of  these   opportunities  was  the  establishment  of  an  internship  program.  Because  the  student  team   expressed  interest  and  the  Executive  Director  was  impressed  with  the  student’s  consistency  in   communication  and  volunteerism,  all  four  of  the  students  were  offered  an  internship  with  the   Farmville  Downtown  Partnership.  This  occurrence,  inspired  the  student  team’s  second  objective   of,  establishing  long  lasting,  mutually  beneficial  relationship  between  Longwood  University   students  and  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership  beyond  the  Fall  2013  semester.     Prior  to  the  Fall  of  2013,  Executive  Director  of  Farmville  Downtown,  Helen  Person,   reported  in  an  interview  that  she  had  only  ever  had  one  student  intern  in  the  office.  This  intern   was  from  Longwood  University  and  had  been  with  her  short  term;;  a  period  of  two  weeks  in  the   summer  of  2013.  Since  the  end  of  the  Fall  2013  COMM  364  class,  Farmville  Downtown  has  had  

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two  Longwood  University  students  complete  internships;;  COMM  364  team  member  Sarah   Luongo  a  communications  student,  and  another  Longwood  University  student,  Ellen  Farmer  who   is  majoring  in  liberal  studies.  Over  the  course  of  the  Spring  2014  semester,  these  two  Longwood   University  students  completed  150  hour  internships.  According  to  Executive  Director  Helen   Person,  having  student  interns  in  the  office  has  been  a  tremendous  help.  Due  to  the  fact  that  she   is  the  only  member  on  the  payroll  for  the  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  having  student  interns   has  helped  her  to  meet  the  goals  and  objectives  set  in  place  by  the  organization.  The   Partnership  is  not  the  only  entity  to  benefit,  Person  strives  to  provide  students  with  an   environment  that  helps  to  nourish  students’  skillset  so  that  they  stand  out  upon  newly  entering   the  workforce.  Person  also  expressed  desire  in  allowing  the  internship  program  to  grow  and   become  sustainable  within  the  town  of  Farmville.  As  of  right  now,  there  are  three  confirmed   Longwood  University  student  interns  for  Summer  2014,  and  four  confirmed  Longwood  University   student  interns  for  the  Fall  2014  semester.     In  addition  to  the  internship  program,  the  student  team  successfully  partnered  a   Longwood  University  student  organization  with  a  local  community  organization  in  order  to   establish  the  LU  presence  within  the  town.  The  recently  chartered,  Public  Relations  Student   Society  of  America  (PRSSA),  formerly  known  as,  The  Longwood  University  Public  Relations   Organization  (LUPR)  was  partnered  with  the  Farmville  Lion’s  Club  through  this  COMM  364   project.  Members  of  the  student  organization  and  Farmville  Lion’s  Club  worked  together  to   design  and  build  a  parade  float  for  Farmville’s  annual  Christmas  Parade.  The  Lion’s  Club  was  so   overwhelmed  and  happy  with  the  students’  effort  and  work  that  they  asked  the  group  to  return  the   following  year  and  help  them  again.  Since  this  partnership,  Helen  Person  has  urged  that  future   partnerships  of  Longwood  University  clubs  and  Farmville  organizations  should  take  place  in   regards  to  the  Farmville  Christmas  parade  and  other  events.   The  COMM  364  student  team  was  also  successful  in  creating  a  comprehensive   Halloween  event  plan  to  be  implemented  by  the  Farmville  Downtown  Promotions  Committee.   Upon  the  plan’s  completion,  the  former  Promotions  Chair,  John  Miller,  proposed  the  students’   plan  to  the  committee  members  and  a  budget  was  approved  for  the  event.  The  Halloween  movie   night  proposal  was  tangible  evidence  that  the  team  was  committed  to  working  with  the  Farmville   Downtown  Partnership.  Team  members  were  motivated  by  the  possibility  of  their  ideas   transforming  into  a  reality.  This  event  is  set  to  take  place  during  the  Fall  2014  semester.  With   persuasive  efforts  and  collaboration,  it  is  hoped  that  Longwood  University  student  organizations   and  interns  will  aid  in  the  development  and  execution  of  the  event.    

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CONCLUSION     Client-­based  learning  in  college  towns  allows  students  and  the  surrounding  areas  to   benefit.  Students  are  able  to  gain  applicable,  real-­world  knowledge  and  experience  by   participating  in  situated  learning  at  the  university  level.  Clients  are  able  to  benefit  from  the   additional  labor  and  differing  perspectives,  making  this  a  mutually  beneficial  relationship.   The  evaluation  of  Longwood  University,  COMM  364  students  alliance  with  the  nonprofit   organization,  Farmville  Downtown  Partnership,  supports  that  client-­based  learning  results  in   tangible  benefits  for  all  parties  involved.  The  Longwood  University  students  gained  experience   with  organizational  structure  and  learned  the  importance  of  trust  and  consistency.  The  students   benefited  from  situated  learning  because  they  were  able  to  converse  with  business  owners  and   citizens  of  the  town,  allowing  them  to  learn  and  practice  the  surrounding  culture.  This  was   beneficial  to  the  success  of  the  strategic  plan  because  it  provided  foundation  for  the  formation  of   appropriate  tactics  and  helped  in  determining  their  success  in  relation  to  their  goal.  Because  the   students  were  given  insight,  they  were  allowed  to  wear  both  the  Longwood  University   perspective  as  well  as  the  Farmville  perspective.  As  a  result  of  this  duality,  the  students  tactics   were  consistently  beneficial  for  both  parties,  another  indicator  of  this  case  study’s  success.    

                         

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References       Addams,  H.  L.,  Woodbury,  D.,  Allred,  T.,  &  Addams,  J..  (2010).  Developing  student   communication  skills  while  assisting  nonprofit  organizations.  Business  Communication   Quarterly,  73(3),  282-­290.       Farmville  Area  Chamber  of  Commerce  (n.d.).  History.  Retrieved  from   http://www.farmvilleareachamber.org/pages/History/       Farmville  Downtown  Partnership.  (2014).  About  us.  Retrieved  from   http://farmvilledowntown.com/about-­us/     Farmville  Downtown  Partnership.  (2014).  Structure.  Retrieved  from   http://farmvilledowntown.com/structure/     Longwood  University.  (2014).  Historic  farmville.  Retrieved  from   http://www.longwood.edu/parents/3154.htm       Longwood  University.  (2014).  Mission  &  Vision.  Retreived  from   http://longwood.edu/president/4731.htm     Johns  &  Company.  (1888).  Prince  edward  county  for  a  home  in  virginia.  Richmond,  VA:  Johns  &   Company,  Book  and  Job  Printers.       Sprague,  R.  (1989).  Longwood  College:  A  History.  Richmond:  The  William  Byrd  Press     Town  of  Farmville.  (n.d.).  Economic  Development.  Retrieved  from   http://www.farmvilleva.com/departments/planning/economic-­development