Letter to the Editor

In regards to the student body’s recent concern with Residential Life, I hope this letter will offer some clarification to a situation that has been misrepresented. The Safety and Security Meeting held prior to the Mardi Gras holiday in Seymour Gym was called by the Office of Student Affairs to provide our students with information to assist them in recognizing potential safety and security issues and to prepare them as they travel away from the campus. Students who attended the meeting hopefully benefited as they prepare for spring break.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned safety and security meeting has been misconstrued as a Residential Life meeting. While information regarding residential life was shared, the primary focus centered on general safety and security and involved a number of safety topics. We are making every effort to assist our students in assisting themselves, because we are not with them 24/7. We want to insure that our students are provided good information, which will help them make wise decisions.


To the surprise of many, the Residential Life and General Safety and Security policies shared are not new policies but a restatement of existing policies — which have been in place for some time — but are now being highlighted.
Where our students live is a huge part of the Safety and Security program on our campus. We need our students as partners in the continuing effort to make our programs beneficial to our residents. While we are not perfect, and recognize that our facilities are not perfect, we continue to make every effort to provide our students with a safe and secure environment and remain actively involved in enhancing the Southern University experience. We welcome and look forward to your solutions, creativity, and input.
Loving and caring about all of our students,

Julie Wessinger, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs