“We rise and fall together,” Mayor of Ashland Matt Miller said to the crowd of community members and campus leaders that were gathering at Uniontown Brewery in Downtown Ashland.

The Ashland Source hosted an event featuring Miller and President of AU, Dr. Carlos Campo on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The discussion focused on the relationship between both the community and campus life.

Campo spoke about the strategic plan and highlighted on the things that “make Ashland, Ashland.”

He announced the latest tuition update, a tuition-freeze for freshman students who may not be able to afford the cost of college right away.

There was also money given to AU by donors for a scholarship which education majors who apply for a pell grant will be able to have tuition free school.

Campo and Miller spoke on the importance of integrating the students into the community and on the progress the school has made introducing the different campus organizations to the community during holiday events and community service opportunities.

Miller commented on how he admires Campo for all of his efforts in bettering AU. The main focal point of the talk was on the interaction between the campus and community.

AU has put in money toward the downtown buildings of Ashland already, with the adult and online studies and correctional education buildings that are under the process of remodeling.

The buildings are bringing more jobs to people and are restoring the two old town buildings that were crumbling before the investment.

Miller said that the school was slowly helping to change the city of Ashland for the better by getting involved.

Along with the help of AU helping to make the city shine, Miller coined one of the phrases of the night regarding how he wants to make Ashland “sparkle”. Miller spoke about the possibility of more apartments in Ashland and a push to clean up the old Pumphouse building that is a mess in the eyes of the city.
“We are striving to make [AU] and Ashland better,” Campo said. “Better at writing and better at preparing students for their future.”

AU is making investments like correctional education and adult and online studies. This sets the university apart from the surrounding colleges by allowing opportunities for more than just the traditional student seeking a four year degree.

“After 140 years, those traditions [of the university] determine who we are. We are an educational institution first,” Campo said.

The free, but ticketed event ran until around 7 p.m. and was attended by roughly 80 community members.