I will preface this with the following: This is a vent.
I am very frustrated with the lack of communication from the Board and the rest of authority at Stevens with the students. I know I am not alone in this matter.
Recently there have been a myriad of issues with campus: pipes bursting in the Howe Center and the Rocco Building, panels falling off the Babbio Center, blocks falling out of the Gatehouse Building, sections of roadway falling off a cliff near Babbio, and a whole heck of other things that never really get talked about.
Why, for instance, was the Babbio Center Parking Lot never completed? I mean, I’ve heard dozens of rumors that all seem to be true, but why can’t I hear exactly what’s going on from the administration at Stevens? I get it that it is semi-confidential, and that plans that haven’t met approval shouldn’t be announced, but I’d really love it if someone from above just came out with a monthly statement announcing present and past issues on campus and how they plan to go about resolving them or have already resolved them. That would make me so much more content with Stevens. I’d think that the administration actually had a handle on things, and wasn’t as incompetent as I presently believe them to be.
And if that is too much, why not just give a little email when a serious issue comes up? Like, for instance, when the sinkhole appeared near Babbio. Rather than just silently putting up barriers, why not send an email to all students like this: “Please be aware that a sinkhole has appeared by the northern patio of the Babbio Center. This issue may have been caused by the incomplete nature of the Parking Garage and the areas being exposed to excessive runoff. Please avoid the area and stay behind the police tape for your own safety while we work towards resolving the issue”? It’s really that simple. State the issue, explain a possible cause, give an instruction, and explain your goals moving forwards. It is short, simple, and reassures everyone on campus that you have a plan, and aren’t just trying to cover up mistakes.
All I am asking is for a little more communication from the authorities. I don’t think this should be too difficult.
