Following last week’s mass shooting at Michigan State University, students are asking school administrators to implement safety measures on campus, arguing the return to in-person instruction was too soon after the violence.
Students gathered in Bessy Hall Tuesday night to air out their concerns in a town hall hosted by Associated Students of Michigan State University, the school's student government. The discussion centered around public safety, mental health and academic support.
Many administrators, including Interim President Teresa Woodruff and staff with MSU's Department of Police and Public Safety, attended the town hall. Woodruff said officials want to work collaboratively with students to address their issues.
“I think the barriers between admin and students (are) very little right now, because, we're, we all have a shared experience,” she said.
The space was meant to be welcoming, with fidget toys, cookies and other treats, as well as a counseling room available across the lecture hall. Student government handed out green and red paper slips for students to wave in the air instead of clapping.
Students shared stories of where they were on the night of the shooting. Some said the emergency alerts were confusing and couldn't understand the delay between shots being fired and messages being sent out.
Students said they were worried about not being able to secure the rooms where they sheltered-in-place. Many said they want to see the school require ID keycards to access campus buildings and locks installed on classroom doors.
On Feb. 13, the gunman was able to enter Berkey Hall and the MSU Union, two buildings that are open to the public.
Others said they don’t want excessive security measures to be put in place. They said an armed police presence and expanded camera surveillance would be discomforting and detract from a positive learning environment.
In a Sunday press conference, MSU Police Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said the school's culture as a public university means many campus buildings are open to everyone during business hours. He said the department will consider improvements to campus safety but added it wants to take time to think about any changes to avoid short-term reactions.
"Our solution needs to be comprehensive and long term and involves several partners coming to the table," Rozman said. "It's not as easy as flipping a switch. It's a culture change."
While students said they appreciated the administrators being present and trying to be sensitive to the community, many were critical of the return to in-person instruction just a week after the shooting. Some said they don’t feel ready to return to the classroom and expressed frustration with professors expecting them to attend in-person lectures and take tests so soon.
Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko spoke at the beginning of the discussion. He says it can be helpful to reenter the learning environment but understands if students aren’t comfortable with returning yet.
“Give it a try," Jeitschko said. "If you don't like it, you can always turn around if you're not ready, but try to come back.”