Our Mission

One of the missions of Bridgewater State College is to serve the Southeastern Massachusetts region by working to enhance its intellectual, economic, cultural and civic well-being. To this end, the College established the Institute for Regional Development on September 1, 1996.

The Institute serves as the visible focal point for College initiatives related to enhancing the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts. The mission of the Institute is to serve as a resource center for the public, private, and non-profit sectors of Southeastern Massachusetts through applied research, training, and technical assistance programs.

IRD News

IRD Provides Valuable Workshops to Municipal Governments

April 2008-

In partnership with the Institute for Regional Development (IRD), Professor Jodie Drapal Kluver, political science, has developed a model for municipal training. She has presented her workshop to towns across Southeastern Massachusetts, including Chatham, Kingston, Norwell and the City of Taunton.

Titled "Creating the Customer/Citizen Experience," the workshop focuses on training municipal staff to reflect and understand their own predispositions in relation to serving the public. Additionally, participants are encouraged to explore how their own perceptual differences affect the work they do.

Participants learn tools for coping with stress and handling conflict in challenging situations. They develop a greater awareness and comprehensive understanding of the goals of local government and learn how to improve their customer service to better achieve those goals.

Workshop participants are generous in their praise of the program and of the benefits of learning how to work together as a team and to how to communicate, essential skills in all areas of life.

Jennifer Reid, IRD project manager says, "Professor Kluver not only relates to the challenges faced by municipal professionals in our region, but also she shares the bigger context in terms of the importance of their roles as public servants and gives them real tools for handling conflict and difficult situations."

 

IRD to Participate in Regional Water-Usage Study

February 15, 2008

The college's Institute of Regional Development will play a major role in an upcoming, multi-town study of water usage and conservation. An interdisciplinary team of BSC faculty experts lead by Dr. Deniz Leuenberger, an expert in sustainable development, will work together on the project, which is being done on behalf of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in partnership with the Plymouth Carver Aquifer Advisory Committee.

The project will include the studying of residential, business and agriculture water usage and perceptions of water conservation issues in the Plymouth Carver Aquifer. The towns of Plymouth, Carver, Wareham, Bourne, Plympton, Middleboro and Kingston all depend on the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer as their principal source of water.

The faculty will implement a citizen survey, stakeholder and citizen focus groups, and comparable community analysis. Working closely with IRD's Project Manager Jennifer Reid, BSC faculty will gather data that will inform recommendations for both passive and active water conservation methods and incentives for citizens accessing the aquifer. The research findings will also be used to create customized, professional water conservation education and marketing resources, tools, and materials for use in the aquifer communities.

Other BSC participating faculty are: Dr. Kevin Curry, biology; Dr. Robert Amey, geography; Dr. Robert Hellstrom, geography; Dr. Nancy Van Leuven, communications; Professor Jodie Kluver, public administration; and Dr. Ilter Bakkal, economics. (Submitted)

 

IRD Hosts Workshop on Community Development

October 30, 2007

Anyone can plan. However, crafting a comprehensive plan and putting it in action - especially if it pertains to something as large as a city or town - is where things can get tricky.

To help elected officials and other interested citizens gain a firmer grasp on the ins and outs of municipal planning and management, the college's Institute for Regional Development last week hosted the first of a two-part workshop called "Community Development: A Blueprint for Your Future Success." During the event, representatives from various organizations discussed topics such as strategic planning, community revitalization, economic development and housing.

Jennifer Reid, project manager for IRD, and, John Fitzgerald, urban development coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, combined efforts to create a program geared specifically for leaders in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Part two of the workshop, to be held on Oct. 24, will focus on project development and implementation and finding and using available state resources.

Attendees of recent IRD workshop take it all in.

 

 

Last Modified: August 12, 2008

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Contact Us

Institute for Regional Development
Burnell Hall
Room 118
66 Hooper St.
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater, MA 02325
Tel: 508.531.2186
IRD@bridgew.edu