Spring Break
URI Housing updates post-event policies after Wiley incident
Bridgette Blight
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
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11/15/07 - Additional training for Housing and Residential Life staff is in order after Wiley Hall residents were forbidden from leaving their residence hall after the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Yesterday, HRL Director Chip Yensan said a post-athletic event protocol will be added to the HRL staff manual after the Oct. 28 incident.
Yensan declined to comment on any disciplinary action against HRL staff members in conjunction with the events at Wiley Hall, citing confidentiality.
HRL staff members were provided with documentation on dealing with potential problems related to the World Series win. Yensan said requiring students to stay in their residence hall was not a suggestion made by HRL.
"The [Wiley Hall] staff provided a message that was inconsistent with our procedures," Yensan said.
Yensan said the incident on Oct. 28 lasted for 15 minutes, and that no doors were locked or barricaded.
"The staff in the building instructed students not to leave," Yensan said. "No one was physically detained, and no one was written up or arrested."
Yensan noted on the importance of written protocols, but stressed that the staff were trying to keep the students safe.
"Not to diminish the significance [of the lockdown], but there are six points of egress out of the building," Yensan said. "Most residents that wanted to leave did."
Yensan said that Jillian Michaud was in her second month working as a graduate assistant hall director when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Michaud ordered Wiley Hall staff to block students from leaving the building. Eyewitnesses said that residents were threatened with arrest if they left.
"No matter what planning you may have, when hundreds, if not thousands, are forming a crowd in celebration, it always has potential to go from safe and positive to dangerous and negative," Yensan said.
Yensan met with Michaud, Assistant Director of HRL Charles Hall and Mark Lane, residential director of Wiley and Garrahy halls on several occasions to discuss the events of Oct. 28. These meetings resulted in the procedural changes.
Although Student Senator Natalie Jacques briefly spoke with Yensan, he said he hasn't had a formal conversation with Student Senate. Also, no students affected by the incident at Wiley have spoken to staff about how the incident affected them. However, Yensan is hoping that the new procedures and training will clarify the role of HRL staff after sporting events.
"It is our desire to not repeat this in the future," he said.
Yensan declined to comment on any disciplinary action against HRL staff members in conjunction with the events at Wiley Hall, citing confidentiality.
HRL staff members were provided with documentation on dealing with potential problems related to the World Series win. Yensan said requiring students to stay in their residence hall was not a suggestion made by HRL.
"The [Wiley Hall] staff provided a message that was inconsistent with our procedures," Yensan said.
Yensan said the incident on Oct. 28 lasted for 15 minutes, and that no doors were locked or barricaded.
"The staff in the building instructed students not to leave," Yensan said. "No one was physically detained, and no one was written up or arrested."
Yensan noted on the importance of written protocols, but stressed that the staff were trying to keep the students safe.
"Not to diminish the significance [of the lockdown], but there are six points of egress out of the building," Yensan said. "Most residents that wanted to leave did."
Yensan said that Jillian Michaud was in her second month working as a graduate assistant hall director when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Michaud ordered Wiley Hall staff to block students from leaving the building. Eyewitnesses said that residents were threatened with arrest if they left.
"No matter what planning you may have, when hundreds, if not thousands, are forming a crowd in celebration, it always has potential to go from safe and positive to dangerous and negative," Yensan said.
Yensan met with Michaud, Assistant Director of HRL Charles Hall and Mark Lane, residential director of Wiley and Garrahy halls on several occasions to discuss the events of Oct. 28. These meetings resulted in the procedural changes.
Although Student Senator Natalie Jacques briefly spoke with Yensan, he said he hasn't had a formal conversation with Student Senate. Also, no students affected by the incident at Wiley have spoken to staff about how the incident affected them. However, Yensan is hoping that the new procedures and training will clarify the role of HRL staff after sporting events.
"It is our desire to not repeat this in the future," he said.
