The Georgetown University Student Association met with key University administrators last week to present its case against the current lockdown policy, which limits access to campus dormitories to residents of those buildings. The meeting was considered successful by both parties, and montly meetings are planned for the forseeable future.
GUSA, represented by Vice President Mason Ayer (SFS ‘03) and Chief of Staff Tom Donnelly (CAS ‘03), secured a commitment from Senior Vice President Spiros Dimolitsas and Vice President for Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez to involve students in the revision of the current lockdown policy and the formulation of future safety policies.
According to GUSA, the meeting allowed the students to openly share the student perspective on the lockdown policy and safety issues in general.
Dimolitsas allowed the students to voice their concerns, and all sides were respected, Donnelly said.
“These meetings will allow any future changes to be screened by students?the people that actually are affected and have a much better perspective on what works and what does not?so that something as irrational and ineffective as the lockdown policy does not take place in the future,” Ayer said.
The administrators said they are equally interested in working closely with students in a mutual effort to ensure safety across campus.
“The University is committed to working with students to address safety and security issues. As a result, I am working to determine a way for students to attend a monthly meeting on these topics which I believe will be a mutually beneficial experience,” Dimolitsas said.
GUSA said it is optimistic about the success of a 24-hour guard policy which it proposed to the administration.
“Our proposal would have professional guards that are paid to do their job well at every entrance of every dorm 24 hours a day. They would be responsible for checking the IDs of every student that enters,” Ayer said.
According to the GUSA press release, Director of Public Safety William Tucker is investigating the feasibility of posting permanent guards in dormitories.
According to Gonzalez, this proposal is being analyzed by the University.
Gonzalez said that the guards would most likely work from 12 a.m. to around 7 a.m., shifts which would be difficult for students to staff and manage.
Ayer said he believes the University’s primary concern for such a policy is funding.
According to the press release, GUSA and University administrators agreed to meet within two weeks to decide whether to rescind or place a moratorium on the lockdown policy or to instate a 24-hour guard policy immediately while the lockdown policy is reviewed.
Dimolitsas, however, said that no such agreement was made. He claimed that the GUSA press release was inaccurate in stating that a decision would be made at the next meeting.
The meeting will focus on developing understanding about the current policy, and will further discuss implementing at 24-hour guard policy for campus dormitories, Dimolitsas said.
He reiterated that no decision would necessarily be made at the next meeting.
GUSA said its main concern about the lockdown policy is what is feels is a distorted view of how student safety can be ensured.
“There is this assumption that restricted access equals safety, whereas this is really not the case. Once this assumption is corrected in the eyes of the powers that be, and I believe that our continued meetings will go a long way toward this end, a rational, truly safe policy can be formulated,” Ayer said.
Gonzalez outlined the difference between issues of safety and issues of conveniece, such as easy access to facilities. All participants agree that safety issues take precedence, he said.
Much progress in improving campus safety has been made over the past year, Gonzalez said.
The University’s Emergency Response Team was formed last September to analyze campus security after Sept. 11, and University President John J. DeGioia created a new position of Vice President for University Safety over the summer.
“[DeGioia] is looking for a vice president who will breathe, dream and live nothing more than safety,” Gonzalez said.
The administration is also reviewing how DPS is deployed in residence halls, general DPS visibility and various aspects of the GOCard system, the new student ID that allows access to campus buildings, among other functions.
“We’re making steps forward, small as they may be,” Gonzalez said, in reference to student complaints over restricted building access.
Dimolitsas emphasized that campus safety is a shared responsibility.
“It takes the individual effort, the vigilant eye, ear and mind, by all of us potentially affected, to put in place an effective program,” Dimolitsas said.
Gonzalez said that students themselves are the most important players in campus safety. Safety is in most cases up to the individual, he said.
“Safety is a day-to-day issue. You can’t take a vacation from being safe,” Gonzalez said.
