Straight from the Source addresses campus safety

In response to the recent death of UConn student-athlete Jasper Howard, Undergraduate Student Government's student affairs committee hosted the semester's third "Straight from the Source" forum, themed around campus safety.

In attendance to take questions were Veronica Makowsky, vice provost for undergraduate education; Dr. Willena K. Price, director of the African American Cultural Center and an adjunct faculty member; Steve Kremer, assistant vice president of student affairs; and Lisa Troyer, President Michael Hogan's chief of staff.

The main point of concern for students was safety around campus. Concerned students questioned all facets of safety at UConn, from violence to reckless driving around campus to health.

As for continued violence on campus, Kremer assured students that safety precautions were constantly being reviewed and tested.

Guest policy was also questioned regarding strictness and adherence to rules.

"What we really would like is that RAs aren't the only responsible adults in a residential hall," Kremer said. "We'd like to see everyone in the buildings to take commitment to their community."

Kremer assured students that Residential Life's goal is never to "diminish the fullness of social activities on campus."

Students also expressed their qualms with current university academic practices. HuskyCT and WebAssign all received their due complaints. The absence of a reading period before final exams was a topic of discussion, as was the current early drop date for classes.

"I was applying to graduate schools just the other day. One of the questions was 'have you ever failed or withdrew from a class?'" said Dipti Dedhia, the undergraduate student representative to USG's scholastic standards committee. "If an 'F' and a 'W' are viewed equally to graduate schools, then the administration needs to implement a better policy."

"I like the idea of an extended drop date." Makowsky said. "As a teacher, I like the idea. As the university is attracting more academically serious students, the school should implement policies geared towards more serious students. The student makeup of the school is very different than it was 15 years ago."

An uncertain economic future was the focus of questions as well. Attendees voiced doubts about fee bill charges, university insurance and the extra fee associated with Internet homework programs for classes.

Makowsky offered advice to students for the upcoming stressful weeks of studying for finals. She urged students to take advantage of the numerous academic help centers including the learning commons in the library and academic achievement center in the CUE building.

She also reminded students that academic success begins with a healthy lifestyle. Taking time to eat well, get sufficient sleep, and exercise are all integral for a successful end to the semester, she said.

Price also spoke to students about coping with the recent violent events on campus and maintaining academic achievement.

"As a campus, many of us are still traumatized," Price said. "We're feeling more vulnerable with our public and personal safety. As a UConn community, we need to preserve that feeling of safety. Do we still stay scared? Absolutely. We should, we should continue to move forward, be vigilant and aware of our surroundings."