2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Education Trumps Safety
Editorial Board
Issue date: 2/6/07 Section: Viewpoints
Our administration often makes decisions we question, but rarely do they involve students' physical safety.
Nevertheless, administrators' choice to keep classes in session last Thursday and Friday, despite significant wintry weather, was out of line.
The Pacer maintains education is of the utmost importance and our reason for being at this university in the first place. We are not proponents of using a few snowflakes as an excuse for a four-day weekend. However, when getting to class is the Martin, Tenn. equivalent of the Iditarod, then the decision to forge ahead with courses could be interpreted as reckless.
Although the path from the staff parking lot to the Administration Building may have been free from treacherous conditions, that was not the case for many of our students, particularly those who commute. But apparently, according to today's story on Page One, administrators do not consider road conditions in the community in making their decision. We find that ridiculous.
Sidewalks were slippery in more than one spot on campus, despite being salted, but UTM's slippery sidewalks hardly compared to road conditions encountered by many students.
The smart students-and instructors-didn't leave their homes to come to class, while the rest of us sat in nearly empty classrooms trying to understand why administrators put our safety at risk.
Luckily, many instructors had more prudence than administrators and decided to cancel their classes after noting the conditions.
We understand UTM strives to be better than our cohorts at Murray, Knoxville, Memphis, Dyersburg and even one of our own satellite campuses in Jackson, but at what expense?
Winter weather-related injuries are not worth the price of administrators' bravado.
UTM students eagerly await explanation-and apology-from our administrators for their utter recklessness.
Nevertheless, administrators' choice to keep classes in session last Thursday and Friday, despite significant wintry weather, was out of line.
The Pacer maintains education is of the utmost importance and our reason for being at this university in the first place. We are not proponents of using a few snowflakes as an excuse for a four-day weekend. However, when getting to class is the Martin, Tenn. equivalent of the Iditarod, then the decision to forge ahead with courses could be interpreted as reckless.
Although the path from the staff parking lot to the Administration Building may have been free from treacherous conditions, that was not the case for many of our students, particularly those who commute. But apparently, according to today's story on Page One, administrators do not consider road conditions in the community in making their decision. We find that ridiculous.
Sidewalks were slippery in more than one spot on campus, despite being salted, but UTM's slippery sidewalks hardly compared to road conditions encountered by many students.
The smart students-and instructors-didn't leave their homes to come to class, while the rest of us sat in nearly empty classrooms trying to understand why administrators put our safety at risk.
Luckily, many instructors had more prudence than administrators and decided to cancel their classes after noting the conditions.
We understand UTM strives to be better than our cohorts at Murray, Knoxville, Memphis, Dyersburg and even one of our own satellite campuses in Jackson, but at what expense?
Winter weather-related injuries are not worth the price of administrators' bravado.
UTM students eagerly await explanation-and apology-from our administrators for their utter recklessness.
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