In response to recent nuisance ordinances passed in the cities of Medford and Somerville, Tufts is working to acquire updated contact information for students living off−campus in order to increase its ability to monitor the high−density areas in which students live.
The City of Medford in August passed a nuisance ordinance that allows the city to fine landlords for the disruptive behaviors of their tenants. The City of Somerville passed a similar ordinance at its Board of Aldermen meeting on Oct. 13.
The Registrar's Office will issue reminders to encourage students to revise their out−of−date information listed on Webcenter. Webcenter serves as the primary means through which the university obtains students' contact information, according to Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman.
Some of the information that students submit on Webcenter — including students' names, email addresses and phone numbers — is displayed publicly, while other information, including students' addresses, is kept confidential, Reitman noted.
The university will use the updated information to identify the areas that have the highest number of off−campus student residents, he said.
"It will be useful for the university to know where people are living," Reitman said. "In that sense, there is the cooperation between the cities and the university in being able to tell what parts of the city are in fact student−rental areas, so the city can plan better and the university can work together [with them]."
Students have run into public disturbance problems with neighbors each semester, according to Tufts' Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel.
"For years and years, there have been instances where groups of students living in the neighborhoods around the campus have caused disruption to the neighborhood," Rubel said.
During Medford town meetings, residents have vowed to relocate if occurrences of public nuisance continue, Chairwoman of Medford City Council's Subcommittee on Public Safety Breanna Lungo−Koehn told the Daily.
Lungo−Koehn identified rowdy parties, public urination, crowded apartments, trash build−up and absentee landlords as some of the most common problems in areas with high student populations.
"Sometimes students do not take into account that average, working people do not start their weekends on Thursday nights," Rubel explained.
She noted, however, that only a minority of the student body causes problems.
"It is a very small percentage of students who attract police attention," Rubel said.
Lungo−Koehn said she hopes that the university will work to "keep track of where their students are living and patrol those areas more often to give the city more relief." She is hopeful that the new ordinance will serve to improve relations between Tufts and its host communities.
Rubel is optimistic that the new efforts to build up the off−campus registry will improve town−gown relations.
"From the university perspective, we want students living off campus to live safely and act as we know they can," Rubel said. "We are willing to work with the cities and neighbors to achieve that goal."
