Letters to the Editor

ROTC Removed for Academic Reasons

To the Editor:

With regard to recent articles concerning the termination of ROTC on campus [“ROTC Policy Opens Columbia to Awkward Comparisons, Criticisms,” Jan. 28 and “ROTC, Not DADT,” Jan. 29], permit me to point out that while there certainly was moral and political antagonism to the program during the Vietnam War period, the program was ended after a faculty committee—I don’t recall if it was created by the faculty, the University Senate, the University Trustees, or the College’s Committee on Instruction, but you could easily check it out in Spectator from that time—did a study of the matter and issued a report stating that the courses involved were basically glorified high school history courses with rote memorization and little thought and thus not suitable for credit, and that the teachers, who were not appointed by the University but by an outside group over which the University had no say, were not qualified by our faculty’s standards and thus the program was inappropriate for credit and inappropriate for being housed in a residence hall. That faculty committee’s recommendation that the program should therefore be denied credit and space and no longer be accepted was adapted and implemented.

Irving Ruderman, CC ’69
Feb. 4, 2008

Editorial Makes Good Point But Uses Offensive Language

To the Editor:

Thank you for bringing to light the inaccessibility of Columbia’s campus to students and visitors who use wheelchairs [“Simple Steps to Fix the Steps,” Feb. 5]. As a tour guide, I recently gave a tour to a prospective student who was in a motorized wheelchair. Not only did I have go the Office of Disability Services, which is tucked away on the 8th floor of Lerner (not so accessible) to gain access to the elevator, my tour was highly limited as a result of the few ramps available to Columbia buildings. I seemed to spend most of the tour apologizing to the student, as we could not see the famous 309 of Havemeyer, or the wonders of an underground gym.

On another note, I also would like to point out that the term “handicapped” as used by the editorial board is antiquated and offensive. Instead, when discussing people with disabilities, writers ought to use “people-first” language, which places people, as they should be, in front of their disabilities. So instead of saying that someone is disabled, it is more appropriate, to state that he or she is someone with a disability. The difference is small, but of utmost importance. People should never be defined by their disability, ever.

Sarah Weiss, CC ’10
Feb. 6, 2008

Public Safety Implements Escort Service Changes

To the Editor:

In response to your editorial [“Going It Alone,” Feb. 1] regarding ways to improve our escort service (212-854-SAFE), Public Safety has implemented several changes, effective immediately, to help reduce waiting time and enhance communication between students and our dispatchers.

First, we are now asking callers to provide us with their name and a call-back number. This allows us to inform students if there is any significant delay in service due to unanticipated emergencies, or to contact them if we are unable to locate them when we arrive at the location provided.

In addition, we are also now providing callers with an estimated time of arrival (ETA). This allows students to plan accordingly and ensure that they remain safe until the escort arrives.

Finally, we have made several changes to the way we operate the escort service. For example, our walking escorts are now assigned to cover specific areas, and we are also mandating hourly escort check-ins with our dispatch desk. These changes help reduce waiting time and ensure that the escort service is operating as efficiently as possible.

Students can help the escort service by being ready to use the escort before calling us, by being as specific as possible about location for the pick-up, by being prompt when given an ETA., and by calling us back if it is decided that an escort is no longer needed.

As your editorial indicated, the escort service is a valuable resource that has been greatly improved in the past few years. We appreciate and encourage student feedback, and hope that these changes—inspired by your editorial—will encourage the use of the escort service as one of the key ways we can together ensure a safe campus environment.

James F. McShane
Associate Vice President for Public Safety
Feb. 7, 2008