In fall 2005, Ames residents may have the opportunity to experience what ISU students experience daily: class.

This is not a class designed for any major or minor, however. It is a class to help the citizens of Ames better understand the community they live in.

According to a City Council document, the Council needs $3,000 appropriated for an eight-week “Civics 101” class as part of its efforts to strengthen ties between the city government and the community.

Susan Gwiasda, Ames public relations officer, said the idea of having a citizen academy to inform citizens on city government happenings is not an original idea.

“We researched other communities,” Gwiasda said. “We looked at cities with similar demographics or with programs we wanted to model.”

Gwiasda listed Redwood City, Calif., Newton, Iowa, and Richmond, Va., as places the city of Ames researched for this project. She said this class is going to focus on the actual workings of the city government.

“Certain issues seem to come up again and again as problematic,” Gwiasda said.

“Some of those areas are economic development, zoning, understanding city government, how to approach your city council or mayor — a lot of government basics.”

Councilman Daryle Vegge, said when he first heard the idea of having a civics class, he saw it as an opportunity to fulfill some goals the City Council has laid out.

“Every year we have the opportunity to go to the National League of Cities Conference, and they talked about getting the government involved with the citizens,” he said.

“This class was one of the ideas I heard there, and it works well with the goals the council has for connecting our community.”

Vegge said he hopes the class will result in several changes in citizens who attend the class.

“I want to engage citizens in city government,” Vegge said. “And when I say citizens, I mean that in a pretty generic term that would include Iowa State students.

“I hope people involved in this class will be motivated to be active in commissions and the Council itself, and that it will bring about a familiarity between citizens and their government,” he said.

Vegge said Gwiasda and her staff are working with journalism and communication lecturer Beth Haag’s public relations class as a way to help the city promote the Civics 101 class and to get students involved in the Ames community.

“It is probably a small way, but it is a great way to fulfill one of those goals.” Vegge said.