The policy on Safety and Security walk-through inspections of Coed, Fraternity, Sorority and undergraduate society houses released by the Office of Residential Life yesterday accomplished one very important feat: administrators and students began talking.
Unfortunately, that will be the policy's only success. The resulting policy will be wholly ineffective, because the plan was doomed from the start.
Health and safety will not be enhanced, nor alcohol consumption reduced, by weekly Safety and Security walk-through inspections, especially inspections scheduled 48 hours in advance and conducted under escort.
However, we commend the administration for reconsidered its initial stance in light of student concerns.
Students desire and need a genuine voice in campus decision-making and policy formation, a voice that has often been denied in the past. This summer we witnessed important advances in student-administrator relations on campus, as ORL staff took the time and effort to meet with campus leaders and try to develop a mutually agreeable compromise.
If the College truly wants to reform the Greek system and realize the ideals of the Student Life Initiative, it must begin with policy that is smart, innovative and developed in conjunction with students. Only then can meaningful change on campus occur.
In an open letter to CFS and undergraduate society presidents Dean Larimore states that "more work remains for the year ahead."
We agree.
Larimore adds: "I look forward to continuing that work as we begin the Fall term." Some students -- having learned to be cynical and distrustful of all administrative efforts at reform -- might take such a statement as ominous.
Yet we look forward to efforts this fall to improve social life at Dartmouth, as long as students and administrators work together and create innovative and effective policy for the College.
