Earlier this semester, the Student Government Association (SGA) asked students to participate in a survey regarding safety on campus. Many respondents expressed concern about poorly-lit areas, and the issue prompted discussion about preserving safety while reducing light pollution.
SGA sent a follow-up survey asking students to describe places on campus that they felt should have more light. They shared the raw and summarized data with Dean of Students Julie Ohotnicky, who hosted a walk on November 7 to evaluate these areas. The emergency response team as well as members of facilities, campus police, the botanic gardens, the astronomy department and student affairs attended the walk.
On the walk, SGA representatives brought attention to student concerns about lighting in the Science Quad. Representatives on the walk noted several lights that were out and required maintenance, and they discussed the need for lighting against academic buildings or in large unlit areas such as the path along Paradise Pond.
SGA President Rosalie Toupin said she plans to send an update to the student body to summarize what was discussed on the walk. She said, “while SGA is focused on the concerns and safety of students, we are also keeping in mind the negative impact lighting can have on our community and our environment. We are not necessarily asking for more light, but better quality light that accurately meets the needs of Smithies.”
Astronomy professor James Lowenthal agreed that better lighting would be more effective than increased lighting. Adding more lights to the Smith campus may contribute to light pollution, which Lowenthal defined as “light that’s too bright, too blue, goes in the wrong direction, or is on at a time when it does nobody any good at all.”
Although Smith is generally responsible about this issue, certain lights, such as the athletic field lights, interfere with astronomy department projects. Light pollution can also have negative effects on human health and the surrounding ecosystems.
Director of Disability Services Laura Rauscher said, “lighting effects navigability and safety for many students with disabilities, particularly students with low vision.” She acknowledged the harmful effects of light pollution in rural areas and said her “primary concern is for assuring consistent and contiguous lighting along pathways, hallways and stairwells.”
The Office of Disability Services consistently works with campus facilities to address safety hazards.
Professor Lowenthal said glare from poorly-designed lights can be itself hazardous. “I think that’s largely what gives the impression that it’s too dark,” he said. “And if you just cut the glare, then you could bring the light levels down dramatically…and actually see better.” He noted that student safety is a priority, but light pollution should also be a factor in the conversation.
Earlier this fall, the Campus Safety Advisory Group (CSAG) hosted a series of open forums and small-group meetings to plan for the future of safety on campus. Community members discussed, in addition to other safety issues, the benefits and drawbacks of increasing lighting.
On November 14, the Smith community received an email from David DeSwert, Chair of CSAG, announcing that they had received “direct and helpful feedback from more than 425 members of the community.”
The email also announced that CSAG would present a series of recommendations based on student feedback to President McCartney by January 2020. These recommendations will help Smith establish a re-envisioned campus safety department on July 1, 2020.
In addition, a Landscape Master Planning Committee is working to map the next 20 years of landscaping at Smith with the landscape planning and design firm MNLA. Between November 6 and 8, the committee held open forums to hear from Smith community members.
The committee’s project manager, Rachael Wein, said that “in those engagements students and others did express feelings and concerns about lighting, but not definitively about more lighting.” She also said that MNLA understands “technical and design solutions that have proven to work to alleviate many of those concerns that people often attribute to a perception of ‘low’ or ‘too-little’ lighting.”
The committee has launched the Groundswell magazine to report its progress, and the first issue can be viewed digitally at goundswellmagazine.com. It includes a section on pedestrian safety with a map that notes areas on campus where there is insufficient lighting or where conflict has occurred. Visitors to the website can share their experiences and suggestions for the future of safety at Smith. MNLA will use the data to design three possible landscape plans that will be presented to the Smith community in February.
