CCSC Tables Proposal for BC Student Dorm Access

Columbia College Student Council voted Sunday to table a measure that would give Barnard students easy access to Columbia's dorms.

The proposed program, called Flash Access, was devised to serve as an alternative to swipe access to all the dorms, which would require installing costly new machinery at Barnard. The plan would provide Barnard and Columbia students living in undergraduate dorms with the option of getting a sticker on their IDs if they wished to be able to sign themselves in or out.

In order to be eligible for the stickers, they would have to sign a waiver saying that they would abide by all of the school's rules.

"There is a sense of community that is broken amongst the four schools" when swipe access is cut off, said Holly Snow, BC '06, who drafted the proposal with Andrea Grossman, BC '06, and Lindsey Summers, BC '06. "Many clubs have events in lounges in different residence halls, which are closed off to students who don't attend those schools."

The proposal was tabled because CCSC "thought it was something we should go to constituents with," said Dave Chait, CC '07 and president of the College Class of 2007.

"It's an issue that involves a lot of advocacy on their part ... [and] would change the dynamic of residential life on campus," he said.

Chait said the council planned on polling Columbia College students about what they thought of the new policy in January.

Barnard will also poll its students about their thoughts on the new proposal in January.

Andrew Russeth, CC '07, Executive Board vice president of funding, agreed. "We just wanted to make sure we're on the same page as our constituents, and that it's something we all really want," he said.

Snow said the plan received mixed support at the meeting. "Support was not all positive," she said. Some CCSC members cited safety and security issues. Others said they were concerned that students could abuse amenities like using computer labs or gyms in East Campus.

The council closed the meeting and asked present Barnard students to leave to discuss the issue further.

Still, Snow said she was happy that the committee had considered the proposal. "We understand that it's the end of the semester," she said. "The fact that it is going back on the agenda is probably a good thing. Tabling is better than voting it down."

Barnard will pitch the plan to the General Studies Student Council and Engineering Student Council Monday night.