SAFETY ON CAMPUS - STUDENTS DEMAND BETTER LIGHTING ON CAMPUS
During semester 2 NUSA representatives canvassed student opinion about the lighting on campus. This issue was raised with NUSA while collecting data for a survey concerning lighting off campus. Based on student feedback NUSA found that the lighting currently placed around Callaghan campus is insufficient. NUSA does not believe a student should have to carry around their own flashlight on campus if they want to see at night.
Students indicated through campus maps and social media the areas they believed needed more lighting, lighting more frequently, or areas where the lighting wasn’t turned on. The highest demand was for more lighting.
As the map shows the most common areas that students showed concern with are the shortland side of campus, the engineering parking lot and between the hunter hub and design bus stop. Students also indicated an issue with the pathway to the train station and the pathway between shortland and hunter. These areas, aside from the engineering parking lot, are the most travelled within the university. This suggests the standard of lighting needs improvement throughout the entire campus.
Reading through comments made by students has revealed their general unease at walking around the campus at night due to the poor lighting. Security however is not the only issue, one conversation with students revealed that poor visibility has almost caused clashes between students on foot and those on bikes.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 states in 6.3
The higher education provider promotes an inclusive and safe culture, ensures there are appropriate security arrangements for all its locations...
NUSA awaits the University to acknowledge students safety issues by increasing the lighting on campus.
Caitlin Marshall
NUSA Faculty of Education and Arts Rep 2012
NUSA Welfare Officer 2013
