Semesterly Town Hall met with mixed emotion

Last week, the University put on its biannual Town Hall to hear and address concerns of students regarding Hofstra. Topics that were covered included Public Safety, the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHACC), Residence Life and Resident Safety, Compass Dining and general complaints from the student body, voiced directly to the administrators. Sponsored by the University Senate, the Town Hall occurred on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Multipurpose Room.

Vice President of Student Affairs W. Houston Dougharty, President Stuart Rabinowitz and Provost Herman Berliner were among the senior administrators that attended the Town Hall, along with the Chair of Student Affairs Committee David Harb. Representatives from Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion, Office of Student Leadership and Engagement and Student Access Services were also in attendance, as well as multiple members of the Student Government Association and the general student body.

Among questions posed by students, the topics that were heavily discussed included complaints about Public Safety, the SHACC and Resident Safety, as well as the resurgence of the African Studies Program. Along with this, the complaint of student workers at Hofstra being paid less than Nassau County minimum wage was included in the discussion.

“Every year, it feels the Town Hall is frustrating because administrators continue to refuse to actually hear student concerns,” said Elliot Colloton, a sophomore sociology major. “It feels like they just want good PR instead of actually caring what students have to say.”

Mental health was another issue brought up during the Town Hall. Colloton, for example, felt that Public Safety tended to make mental health crises “worse, due to lack of training.”

Students are encouraged by the University to share their thoughts and opinions with administrators. “Moving forward, we will continue to look at ways to improve and enhance communications, as well as these town hall forums,” wrote the University in a statement to The Chronicle.

“I thought that a more productive dialogue could have been happening instead of the tense and defensive environment that we got, not from the students, but from a number of administrators present,” said Alexa Osner, a junior public policy major. “Hopefully in the future, the Town Hall can be reworked to be beneficial for everyone.”