By Ripon Media in College Days on November 19, 2015
By: Jessica Joanis
Residence Halls are designed to be spaces for communal living, students have that as their home while they are here. As a department on campus charged with managing those spaces, we enforce policies that Ripon College has created that concerns those spaces. In every attempt the Residence Life staff tries to be consistent in our enforcement of those policies.
When students approach the Residence Life staff about things that they notice or have complaints about in the residence halls, there is an expectation for action. This case was no different.
The concern over the posters was brought to our attention by students living in the residence halls, I called the Center for Diversity and Inclusion to share the student concerns and asked that the Feminists be contacted about those complaints. The next day I followed up with an email to their student group advisor for advice on how to proceed with this situation. Before that advisor even had a chance to respond the Feminists came up with a plan themselves without direction from the Residence Life staff.
The concerns being raised about this topic are bringing about dialogue that is necessary for our students to have with one another and is encouraged in the educational mission of the institution. I hope that they continue to talk to one another about their expectations for their communities and open more lines of communication about these types of concerns as they happen in the future.
