Western Courier

Issue date: 10/21/09 Section: News

file photo Al Goldfarb has been Western Illinois' president since 2002 and will be retiring in 2011.

There is always sort of a sense of divide, but I think that the relationship between the university and the city is actually a pretty good one. There are always conflicts and more so recently, but I actually think there is great respect among the majority of our students.

Issues

There is a concern being expressed with the amount of partying alcohol abuse and disrespectful behavior, and on the other hand I think students feel as though the community isn't as welcoming. I've said this over and over again: it's a small number of our students and times when students have issues in the community it's usually a small number of individuals in the community. We are a small community so everyone lives very closely together.

University doing enough?

We have been working with the city, and we are hoping they will work with us in looking at if there are certain residences where there are continuous problems and should the persons who rent have some responsibility.

We have also talked about tighter keg policies to put responsibility on them as well. So sometimes I think it takes a while to get those kinds of issues solved, but I know we are going to continue to push for that. C.U.P.P. is a way to kind of resolve some of these issues, but we have to continue to work on them.

Students doing enough?

There are a large number of outstanding citizens and I hear good things about them. There are some places, which have a reputation for bad behavior or lack of respect from neighbors. I think about whether people behave like this at home. Would students behave like this if they were still living with their parents?

I recognize that students want to socialize, but part of living off campus is living in a community, which is what they will have to do when they leave here.

Where does responsibility lie?

It's a joint responsibility, but I think students need to understand that when you choose to live off campus you choose to become a community member. We should all have expectations of civil behavior. The community has expectations to enforce codes and rules. We try to send the message that we want our students to be socially responsible. The years you spend here may have an impact on the future when you are looking for employment and the years in college to prepare you for life when you leave so people need to think about their behavior.

Those individuals who rent property should also bear some responsibility. Most places have clear expectations of their residents, and we believe that should occur as well. There should be some sense that when you rent properties you should have some expectations.

Solutions?

We need to come together more often and continue to work together on the issue. I think for the most part the town and gown relationship is pretty good, but we have to work with our students as well as the city to maintain respectful behavior. Students need to take responsibility for their actions and work with us to maintain a sense of community.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools