Spring Break
Oversight leaves students uninformed
Issue date: 10/21/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
10/21/08 - On Friday, the University of Rhode Island's Department of Communications and Marketing issued an e-mail advising the university community that fecal coliform bacteria was present in the campus waterlines.
The e-mail contained information regarding preventative measures that URI would be taking in order to clean out the system, specifically that small amounts of chlorine would be injected into campus-wide waterlines.
However, the e-mail contained one fatal flaw - it was not sent to students.
An error in the Department of Communications and Marketing resulted in only faculty members receiving the notification.
Everyone makes mistakes. But it is unacceptable that students did not find out the water was contaminated until Sunday evening, when a separate e-mail detailing more serious protocol, including a state-required water advisory, was sent hours after the university issued the ban.
Technical failures with the university's e-mail system did not allow the e-mail to be issued Sunday morning as the news bureau intended.
But despite this, there were no attempts to remedy the situation except for the posting of flyers on the doors of university buildings and residence halls.
Though each flyer contained necessary precautions, the university did not take into consideration that many students might not decide to venture out of their dorm rooms on cold October Sunday.
Eddy, Wiley and Garrahy halls, as well as the Terrace Apartments, all contain kitchens in many of their apartments and suites. Many students living in these halls are less likely to go to the dining halls and see the bottled water being distributed.
It would have been more efficient for Housing and Residential Life to require residence assistants to notify students in hallway meetings.
But the fault is not solely of the news bureau or HRL. Though the first e-mail was only announcing a seemingly non-threatening protocol, students should have been notified as soon as possible. State Health Board regulations are also to blame.
The fact that consuming tap water could be dangerous likely came as a shock to the thousands of students who reside on-campus.
Also unnerving is that the state does not require institutions to disclose positive test results until two consecutive samples are confirmed positive for contamination.
Though the chance of a false positive is much higher than the chance of confirmed contamination, the Rhode Island Board of Health should recognize that those consuming potentially contaminated water have a right to know immediately.
The e-mail contained information regarding preventative measures that URI would be taking in order to clean out the system, specifically that small amounts of chlorine would be injected into campus-wide waterlines.
However, the e-mail contained one fatal flaw - it was not sent to students.
An error in the Department of Communications and Marketing resulted in only faculty members receiving the notification.
Everyone makes mistakes. But it is unacceptable that students did not find out the water was contaminated until Sunday evening, when a separate e-mail detailing more serious protocol, including a state-required water advisory, was sent hours after the university issued the ban.
Technical failures with the university's e-mail system did not allow the e-mail to be issued Sunday morning as the news bureau intended.
But despite this, there were no attempts to remedy the situation except for the posting of flyers on the doors of university buildings and residence halls.
Though each flyer contained necessary precautions, the university did not take into consideration that many students might not decide to venture out of their dorm rooms on cold October Sunday.
Eddy, Wiley and Garrahy halls, as well as the Terrace Apartments, all contain kitchens in many of their apartments and suites. Many students living in these halls are less likely to go to the dining halls and see the bottled water being distributed.
It would have been more efficient for Housing and Residential Life to require residence assistants to notify students in hallway meetings.
But the fault is not solely of the news bureau or HRL. Though the first e-mail was only announcing a seemingly non-threatening protocol, students should have been notified as soon as possible. State Health Board regulations are also to blame.
The fact that consuming tap water could be dangerous likely came as a shock to the thousands of students who reside on-campus.
Also unnerving is that the state does not require institutions to disclose positive test results until two consecutive samples are confirmed positive for contamination.
Though the chance of a false positive is much higher than the chance of confirmed contamination, the Rhode Island Board of Health should recognize that those consuming potentially contaminated water have a right to know immediately.
