In order to be effective, a task force must include one important aspect: an active discussion from a variety of those affected by and familiar with the issues it focuses upon.
This is what occurred at Thursday’s Campus Community Relations Task Force meeting, held in the Bowerman Building near Hayward Field.
The CCRTF, which included discussion Thursday on everything from party enforcement to the recent string of attacks against women on campus, 21er books and arsons to upcoming events on campus and the community, regularly meets to discuss the ambitions of the residents of campus and the neighboring communities.
The task force addresses issues in order of importance and concern. During it’s last meeting it was the prevention of Halloween riots; this meeting began with talks of the campus attacker.
And with the recent attacks on campus, the Department of Public Safety has seen an increase in the number of safety escorts provided to students.
“It’s part of the process — we’re happy to do it,” DPS Director Tom Fiztpatrick said. “If the demand is high enough, we’ll make some sort of adjustments to accommodate [more safety escorts].”
He said the department used to go months without giving an escort, and now it is not uncommon for them to give as many as five escorts per day.
Following the discussion of the recent attacks, the talks turned to the availability of options for those leaving campus after dark. With many bus routes concluding early in the evening, some staff members discussed the possibility of a campus shuttle service.
“Right now — even if we had a shuttle — until the rain comes down and it gets dark, ridership is down,” said Jan Oliver, associate vice president for institutional affairs. “The ridership is very weather-related.”
Predicting ridership habits is a difficult task when determining the feasibility of transportation options.
“We have discussed this before,” Oliver added. “In the end, we couldn’t get the math to work out.”
Another topic of concern was brought to the discussion by Director of Student Activities Gregg Lobisser regarding alcohol use among students, particularly on his or her 21st birthday.
“The issues are not specific to the 21er but the fact that until you are 21 we downplay drinking — then all of a sudden it’s readily available,” Lobisser said. “Somehow we need to correct that message.”
At Thursday’s CCRTF meeting, University staff applauded the students who attended the session — all four of them.
“Nobody on this campus knows what this task force is,” said one late-arriving attendee, explaining how she was unable to locate the meeting after asking many people.
Those in attendance at the meeting maintained the feeling that the quality of discussion would be improved if the CCRTF meetings could attract more students.
The task force also provides a forum for updating the University staff and other student groups on upcoming events on campus and throughout the community.
ASUO Outreach Director Christa Shively eagerly anticipated the events planned for Sexual Assault Awareness Week, including the annual Take Back the Night parade, scheduled for May 15-19.
The task force also discussed items related to safety of summer activities, such as hiking and swimming.
“It is not uncommon for us to have a student die from drowning on a nearly annual basis,” Oliver said.
Many times during the meeting, those in attendance referenced the notion of preaching to the choir.
“Remember, these are administration and staff people,” University student Pete Hunt said after the meeting. “They talk about this stuff all day long — what this task force really needs is the input of students.”
University staff members agreed.
“These events have great potential,” CCRTF organizer Donna Leavy said. “They are very interesting and open to suggestions for topics to be discussed.”