Staff Editorial | Unguarded gates may weaken security of campus

The construction that began this summer on Raymond Avenue has caused significant traffic buildup throughout the surrounding area during high-density rush hours. Vassar has done its part to alleviate this problem by complying with state engineers’ recommendations and diverting cars away from the hub of campus traffic activity— Main Gate. Drivers are provided with three alternative options: North Gate (the closest and most heavily trafficked), South Gate, and the lesser-known Manchester Gate (located behind the golf course). These gates must now remain open at all times, whereas in the past they have been closed at night.

As posted, Vassar has a closed-campus policy at night, and all entrances to the campus besides Main Gate are supposed to be closed to the public during specific hours, with Main Gate being monitored by security officers. According to the Campus Patrol “Pink Book” of Security regulations, “Only current Vassar students, faculty, administrators, employees, and children or guests thereof are permitted to be on campus from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.”

Recent decisions to leave North Gate and South Gate open—unstaffed—24 hours a day threaten to compromise this security policy. Previously, all nighttime traffic exiting or entering the campus passed through Main Gate, where a security guard stood watch and ensured that anyone coming onto the campus during the closed-campus hours had permission to be there. With North Gate and South Gate now open—even at night—without any accompanying security checkpoint, traffic is free to come and go at all hours without any security supervision.

For many colleges, a closed-campus policy is both impractical and undesirable. In those cases, however, alternative security measures, such as round-the-clock security guards at each residential building or gated residential communities, are in place. Vassar, however, is located in a suburban setting, and can realistically maintain a nighttime closed-campus policy.

Why is it now much easier to drive onto campus at night? Director of Security Don Marsala explained that Security implemented the new gate policy during the summer and has since “noticed no increase” in the number of people coming onto campus at night. “We have patrols keeping a close eye on strange vehicles coming onto campus,” he said, “and to date there hasn’t been any noticeable difference or any problems.”

Vassar should not wait for an incident to occur before paying closer attention to security at the open gates. Although students face security risks on campus from other members of the community, the dangers are multiplied when the campus becomes excessively open to traffic.

During nighttime hours, Vassar’s campus is currently supposed to be closed to people not working or living at the College. If we advertise ourselves as a closed campus—through admission tours, posted signs, and distributed information—and we thereby encourage students to feel as if they are on a campus that is under security supervision, that supervision should be present and seen.

Vassar students should certainly be encouraged to interact with the local community, both during daylight hours and at night. Although we are a closed campus, we strive to be part of the Poughkeepsie community as well. However, nighttime safety and protection from dangers in any community should be looked at carefully, and recognized as distinct issues from campus isolationism or elitism.

Students are more vulnerable late at night when it is dark and the College’s closed-campus policy gives students a sense of security which may be unfounded. If Vassar is committed to its nighttime closed-campus policy, then it ought to provide adequate security measures at both North and South Gates to ensure that all traffic entering and exiting the campus is properly regulated during closed-campus hours. Although there have not been any noticeable problems as of yet, the College should still continually and carefully analyze its policy in comparison to its practice.

The Staff Editorial represents at least a two-thirds majority of the Editorial Board.