Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco and her student intern Yun Chung '97 are in the process of organizing a student committee to improve residential life at the College.
The formation of the committee is in response to the "series of racist, sexist and homophobic incidents" that occurred in 1995 and during Winter term.
The committee will be responsible for gathering student input and keeping the ORL "up-to-date" and in contact with students' perspectives, Chung said.
That way, Chung said, if any incidents reach a "crisis" level, action can be taken by the Office.
The goal of the committee is to take the information gained from students and forward it to the ORL, so the office can work towards helping Dartmouth students "feel safer" in what is effectively their "home away from home" for four years, Turco said.
The idea for the committee originated in a meeting that several Asian-American students held with members of the Office of Residential Life staff shortly after the racial slurs appeared on doors during the 1996 Winter term.
ORL realized it had little idea that such incidents were occurring on campus, and so the idea of a committee of students designed to inform them came about, Chung said.
Turco and Chung are "in the process of meeting with various groups on campus" to get students' opinions and suggestions about how various problems on campus such as racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia can be resolved, Turco said.
Turco and Chung are in the process of meeting student groups. Turco said by meeting with individual groups they hope students will feel an "investment" in the project.
The committee will be composed of student group representatives from any group that wants to send a member, Chung said.
