A panel discussion on the housing lottery, campus hate crimes, and Greek life kicked off a series of Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate-sponsored dialogues designed to improve communication between administrators and students. Approximately 25 students and administrators attended the event in Hotung Caf?© on Monday evening.
"It is designed to open further the lines of communication that exist between students and administrators," TCU Judiciary Vice Chair Allison Clarke said. Citing previous forums that set out to address specific campus issues, Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that he welcomed the opportunity to solve problems proactively. "I hope that it results in a lot of positive attitude and change for all of us," he said.
The panel began by discussing written questions sent in by students and passed forward by audience members. The first question dealt with attempts made this year at an early housing lottery release. Reitman said since the housing lottery is based on spring enrollment, the release date was only two weeks earlier this year.
"If there's any way to accelerate that process in the future we will do that," Reitman said. He said that radical lottery changes, such as generating numbers years in advance, are under exploration. A new Office of Residential Life administration might facilitate such plans.
Discussion later turned toward ways to prevent discrimination on campus. Associate Dean of Students Marisel Perez, an organizer of a Peer Education Program to combat bias incidents, said that change would have to come from inside the community. "We as a community need to create an environment where these kinds of acts are rejected and condemned," she said.
Reitman said that in order to lessen campus tensions, students must realistically assess the average college student. "Just because people are smart enough, and sophisticated enough to get into Tufts does not mean that they are not bigoted," he said. "Coming together, supporting one another, building coalitions, and showing each other that we care about each other is critical."
Freshman senator Chike Aguh said that education is the first step to countering bias incidents on campus. "Education needs to start with us. We're students, that's why we're here," she said.
Students attending the panel also discussed ways to integrate Greek life on campus with the greater community. Reminiscing about a time when Greek organizations took a much larger role in on- and off-campus philanthropy, Reitman said that the current system is lacks unity.
"While I think [the Greek system] probably has a place on the campus, it has fallen into a state of disrepair," Reitman said. "The chapters that make up the Greek system are more a collection of individual houses than a system. Competition between the houses is tearing down the feeling of Greek pride."
Other topics included living and learning environments, the flexibility of return times from breaks, off-campus housing for students of color, and work-study programs.
Recent improvements to the mail service and library, both results of student-administrator dialogue, were raised as examples of what an open dialogue can achieve.
"We also need to know about what is going right with this campus," Aguh said.
"All these great things that are being done by the administration, don't mean anything if we as students don't know about it."
Though many felt attendance was hindered by the NCAA basketball finals Monday night, those who gathered for the discussion felt the event was a good first step.
"I was kind of disappointed by the turnout but I think there was good discussion," sophomore Charline Han said. "Prior to the next panel they should brainstorm ways to advertise it better because this kind of discussion could really be productive."
TCU President Eric Greenberg moderated the panel, which was organized by Aguh, Women's Union Coordinator Julie Karol, and Clarke.
Reitman, Perez, Residential Life Coordinator Dean Gendron, and Public Safety Directory John King, all sat on the panel with Aguh and Karol.
