When the administration for UTM makes its decisions to close campus, we would all like to assume that those decisions are made with every student’s best interests in mind.
Well, we all know where assumptions can get us. When our campus was closed for an entire school week because of snow and ice, it was probably in the best interests of everyone that lives, works or attends school on our campus. When the campus decided to resume operation on the following Monday, however, was every student really considered? This is not a rhetorical question. When we returned to campus on Monday, Feb. 23, our facilities and grounds were not ready for all of the many types of students that UTM is so very fortunate to call learners of its institution.
UTM prides itself on being located in a rural area. Many of our students commute everyday from these small rural towns that aren’t very far from Martin. Rural roads aren’t usually under the care of state maintenance. So, while the powers that be deemed our campus “safe enough” to resume classes, most rural roads were still impassable on Feb. 23.
Law requires UTM to accommodate students with disabilities. Well, I saw firsthand many disabled students struggling to navigate through our treacherous campus. Maintenance did a terrible job of making sure sidewalks were clear and safe for all students, especially those who already have a difficult time getting around when there’s not a natural disaster. I should also include those students who may be expecting. It’s bad enough when one person is injured, but it’s even worse when a mother and her unborn child are injured because our administration made a bad judgment call.
Finally, there are those students that live on campus that were stuck without access to things they needed to keep them feeling safe and secure during the snowstorm. It is the responsibility of the administrators of this university to see to that every student that attends this university is safe. No one should feel as if they need to risk their safety in order to get to class. The thing that makes this university wonderful is the sense of pride that’s everywhere in the atmosphere. As students, we should never be ashamed that our educational institution would risk the safety of students in order to push a larger agenda.
Featured photo credit: Maegan Jolley
