University Community Relations Alliance

Community Info & Resources Community Info & Resources

Our Mission: "Through research and collaboration, we will identify issues and make recommendations to improve the Quality of Life for residents, students and the broader community."

Source: UCRTF Initial Report, July 2004

Our History

The University Community Relations Task Force was established in 2004 under the leadership of City of Wilmington Mayor Spence Broadhurst and University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo.

The name was formally changed to the University Community Relations Alliance (UCRA) in March 2016. The name change was voted on by the Alliance and approved by the City of Wilmington. The name change signifies over 10 years of partnership with this group and the ongoing relationships in the Alliance. For archived minutes, please email Assistant Dean Lindsey Trione.

Composition and Commitment

Since the committee's creation in 2004, the format, needs and tasks have been modified over time, however, the commitment by the City of Wilmington and UNCW remains the same.

Currently, the UCRA meets quarterly (four times a year) for 60 minutes in the months of January, April, July and October. The meeting is moderated by the Vantage Pointe.

The current UCRA composition is a partnership between the City of Wilmington, UNCW, and community members. The UCRA is Co-Chaired by the Director of Community Services for the City of Wilmington and Assistant Dean of Students at UNCW.

The membership continues to evolve since 2004. The 2017 makeup of the committee was as follows:

Director of Community Services
Wilmington Solid Waste
Wilmington Code Enforcement
Wilmington Police Department
Alcohol Law Enforcement
Wilmington Apartment Association
Wilmington Board of Realtors
UNCW Dean of Students (2 representatives)
UNCW Students (2 representatives)
UNCW Police Department
UNCW Marketing and Communications (now Office of University Relations)
Cape Fear Community College
Wilmington Neighborhood Residents- College Acres, Carleton Place, Council of Neighborhood Associations

Past Minutes

October 22, 2025

University Community Relations Alliance Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Discovery Hall 1070

UCRA Members -Andrea Weaver, Lindsey Decker, Lt. Lindsey, Rachel LaCoe, Brian Rostholder, Lt. Malone, Brian Renner, Daniel Lynch, Lee West, Miranda Rutledge

Vote and Approval of Minutes (2 minutes)
Lindsey Decker opened the meeting with a welcome at 4:00 p.m. She let everyone know that minutes were distributed at the beginning of the meeting and are posted on our website. Lindsey asked for a motion to approve the minutes, which Roger Sims provided and Lee West seconded. The minutes were approved at 4:02 p.m.

Lindsey Decker, Assistant Dean of Students (3 minutes)
The Office of the Dean of Students has issued nine letters of community standards to off-campus students and has had three meetings with off-campus students. The Fall Housing Fair on October 14, 2025, had nineteen properties represented. The next Housing Fair is February 24, 2026, at 11:00 in the Burney Center. There has been an increase in requests for emergency funds; approximately fifteen since the beginning of the academic year.

Rachel Schuler, City of Wilmington Housing and Neighborhood Services Director (3 minutes)
There have been two in-person meetings and a virtual meeting regarding traffic calming in several neighborhoods; including Burnett Blvd., Carl St., Charter Dr., Jeb Stuart Dr., and Lancaster Rd. Proposals to slow/reduce traffic in these areas will be presented at the next meeting.

Cpl. Ellis, University Police Department (2 minutes)
There have been ten cases involving assisting other agencies, which include six mistaken reports, two weapons charges, one warrant service, and one information report.

Lt. Malone, Wilmington Police Department (2 minutes)
The hiring of a new Police Chief has gone through and everything is going well. The semester is going well with the Wilmington Police Department and UNCW working in collaboration, handling just a few noise complaints.

Brian Renner and Roger Sims, City of Wilmington Code Enforcement (2 minutes)
Code Enforcement is taking on some zoning responsibilities that include boat and RV parking. The Department has issued new informational stickers that outline new code and zoning requirements. The Department has resolved 13 out of 30 cases since August.

Dean Godwin, Public Comment (3 minutes)
Mr. Godwin spoke about his own concerns and represented the concerns of several community members. The fraternity house on Wrightsville Ave. has had parties where students end up hanging out in the middle of the road and the fraternity has hung blue tarps around the backyard to hide their activity. There are also homeless people living in the woods behind the fraternity house. There are parking issues with a house on Andover Rd. and general speeding on Andover is a problem. Mr. Godwin mentioned that 5309 Ridgewood Rd. is a drug house and 5305 Ridgewood Rd. is a fraternity house. He also mentioned that the University Police has helped with the situation he previously reported about on Rose Ave.

Meeting Adjourned at 4:17 PM
Next Meeting:
February 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Discovery Hall 1070