If Wesleyan is not a fire-safe campus, the blame lies with the administration, not with the students. Not only do Physical Plant, the “fire inspectors,” and almost every other administrative body at Wesleyan fail to make the campus safer, but they actually often make it more dangerous. The reason lies partly in the principle that guides most of the University’s actions: extraction of money takes precedence over all other concerns, including academics, student safety and rights, and protection of property, but also in the administration’s incompetence and general disdain for students. While the first problem is systemic and not easy to solve, the latter two could be easily remedied by creating a trustworthy committee made up of professors, parents and alumni—neutral parties—through which students could file grievances against administrators or University employers who act improperly under the University’s code of conduct.
While administrators and “fire inspectors” waste time and tuition-payers’ money concocting grandiose and highly irrational schemes—such as the “fire extinguisher module” and the proposed all campus model-dorm burn on Foss Hill, they neglect simple and practical procedures, like placing fire extinguishers in every dorm, apartment and house (Physical Plant did not provide our house with an extinguisher until after fall break). Christine Cruz’s announced plan of “set[ting] fire to a model dorm” in the middle of campus would be funny for everyone, but not useful. Judging by the frequent Public Safety reports of students “discharging fire extinguishers,” it appears as though students would not benefit from a program to teach them how to use fire extinguishers; they already know. And of course, it’s no secret that such ludicrous plans derive their funding from jacked-up fines levied upon students—the so-called “fire extinguisher module” is expected to cost $5,000, which will be provided by fines from “fire inspections.”
Physical plant and “fire inspectors” have repeatedly demonstrated their disdain for students’ rights and concerns. Last semester two women from “Fire Safety” entered our house under the guise of “fire inspections,” and conducted an unwarranted, and illegal, search of our drawers, dressers, and other private areas without our knowledge. Later we discovered that the women had removed several candles which had been stored in one of our closed dresser drawers. This misconduct was not exceptional. Upon returning from winter break, several of the bedrooms in our house were found unlocked, although we had carefully locked and secured all rooms before leaving, well aware that our house sits in a relatively high crime area.
Disrespectful actions that endanger students or violate their rights are entirely unacceptable. But lesser “blunders”—unnecessary intrusions on student privacy and senseless but costly decisions indicative of a high level of incompetence—are not excusable either. It took well over a month and visits from at least three different Physical Plant workers before a beehive was removed from inside the wooden structure of our house. During that month, bees entered the house at will because one house member’s room had no windows and a door leading to the outside balcony that could not close. And bursting into a sleeping student’s room unannounced at 8 a.m. in order to replace a working light bulb simply because the employee “had an extra,” is dumb, wasteful and not conducive to positive student-administration relationships.
Such examples are not exceptions; they typify the utter disdain shown for student rights and concerns displayed by most branches of this bloated corporate bureaucracy here at Wesleyan University. Most impressive is the sheer absence of accountability that accounts for much of the incompetence. The fact that administrators and bureaucrats are so free to waste students’ money on ridiculous “fire education” projects while completely disregarding student safety and rights is quite an accomplishment, and one which is surely is envied by those “peer institutions” which Wesleyan is always citing to justify its actions. But why should our administration feel accountable? As former VP of Finance Marcia Bromberg said a few years ago, “People will pay whatever we charge them.” Congratulations, Wesleyan. Suffice it to say you can count out any alumni contributions from the six of us in the near future.
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