Sidewalks too icy for students
The Traveler Editorial Board
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Opinion
It's no rare occasion to see a student or faculty member slip and fall on some of the UA campus's sidewalks, particularly during this winter season. Some might chalk it up to lack of time, grace and appropriate footwear, but we've noticed that some newly installed sidewalks - think around the Fine Arts Building and Chi Omega Greek Theater - have become impossibly slick, so much so that the most poised, punctual and properly dressed student often doesn't stand a chance during inclement weather.
University officials are responsible for clearing these sidewalks, and the UA obviously values the safety of students and faculty, as evidenced by a city response plan solely dedicated to clearing snow and ice on university property. And we understand that probably no plan - not even one that calls for staff to begin clearing sidewalks and streets at 3:30 a.m., as this one does - would be able to ensure every nook and cranny of this more than 350-acre campus is devoid of snow and ice patches.
However, after a bout of icy weather about a week ago, a quick walk around campus proved that many places had been neglected by workers and were coated in ice. At least one research assistant, who injured himself in 2007 when he slipped on a patch of ice on campus, has noticed this in the past, as well, as he pointed out in a letter to the editor last week. And with thousands of students and professors walking around campus every single day, that's only asking for trouble in the form of injuries and lawsuits.
Ridiculously slick sidewalks topped with ridiculously slippery ice don't have to compromise the safety of UA students as long as staff members diligently patrol the campus as advised in Fayetteville Policies and Procedures. There's no doubt that UA staff members work hard to clear roads and sidewalks on a regular basis, and we greatly appreciate their dedication, but it only takes one day of negligence to see students injure themselves while trying to make it to class on time.
Fayetteville is sure to experience more snowy weather this semester, and we hope that students exercise a little caution on their way to class. But we also hope that university officials take the safety of students and faculty into account those days and expend a little extra time and resources clearing sidewalks and roads.
University officials are responsible for clearing these sidewalks, and the UA obviously values the safety of students and faculty, as evidenced by a city response plan solely dedicated to clearing snow and ice on university property. And we understand that probably no plan - not even one that calls for staff to begin clearing sidewalks and streets at 3:30 a.m., as this one does - would be able to ensure every nook and cranny of this more than 350-acre campus is devoid of snow and ice patches.
However, after a bout of icy weather about a week ago, a quick walk around campus proved that many places had been neglected by workers and were coated in ice. At least one research assistant, who injured himself in 2007 when he slipped on a patch of ice on campus, has noticed this in the past, as well, as he pointed out in a letter to the editor last week. And with thousands of students and professors walking around campus every single day, that's only asking for trouble in the form of injuries and lawsuits.
Ridiculously slick sidewalks topped with ridiculously slippery ice don't have to compromise the safety of UA students as long as staff members diligently patrol the campus as advised in Fayetteville Policies and Procedures. There's no doubt that UA staff members work hard to clear roads and sidewalks on a regular basis, and we greatly appreciate their dedication, but it only takes one day of negligence to see students injure themselves while trying to make it to class on time.
Fayetteville is sure to experience more snowy weather this semester, and we hope that students exercise a little caution on their way to class. But we also hope that university officials take the safety of students and faculty into account those days and expend a little extra time and resources clearing sidewalks and roads.
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