By Tristan Weisenbach and Isabella Darcy
Managing Editor and Arts & Entertainment Editor
Students at the College were tasked with completing a mandatory online safety training program, covering topics including active shooter situations, fire safety and health awareness, by March 29. It was the first ever mandatory safety training for all students.
The online modules consisted of videos followed by a series of questions related to the information. In total, the training took nearly two hours to complete.
Gabbi Nucci, a sophomore elementary special education and psychology major, said that she liked the educational aspect of the training, but thought it was “redundant.”
“It was long videos with questions, and I felt the questions were pretty similar,” Nucci said. Junior secondary education and math major Megan Lail agreed and said she felt like she “already knew all of it.”
Senior special elementary education and psychology major Alyssa Molnar said she thought the training was “well rounded in terms of safety” and appreciated learning statistical information.
But some students highlighted the fact that they already completed similar safety training as a requirement of their involvements on campus.
“I’m a [Community Advisor] so I’ve had three years of training in that stuff,” said James Chiriboga, a senior special elementary education and women’s, gender and sexuality studies major. “I feel like there are some student groups on campus who should've been exempt from this training because a lot of it was common sense or stuff we've already been trained on in the past.”
Amrutha Swaminathan, a senior biology major, said she did not understand why she had to complete the training because she, along with other seniors, is graduating in a few weeks.
“It felt time consuming,” Swaminathan said. “Full transparency, I didn’t actually read anything through. It was playing in the background while I did my other tasks.”
During interviews, multiple students shared rumors they heard about the repercussions of not completing the mandatory training. Molnar said she heard “through the grapevine” that seniors who did not complete the training would not graduate. Lail said she did her training because she heard that she would not be able to schedule for classes for the fall if she didn’t.
“I know a lot of my friends were very confused,” said Molnar. “Like alright, this is mandatory, but what happens if you don’t do it?”
One student who opted not to complete the training was junior secondary education and history major Rebecca McGorry.
“I just didn’t feel like it,” McGorry said. “Also, I just have so many missing assignments.”
In total, 6,485 students completed at least one course, and 5,236 completed the entire training, according to Head Media Relations Officer Luke Sacks. He stated there are no repercussions at this time for students who do not complete the training, saying the College is “focused on continuing to remind and encourage students” to complete it.
For future safety training, students expressed many ideas they feel would improve the teaching of campus safety knowledge. Swaminathan said she thinks the online instruction mode wasn’t beneficial for students.
“If they really cared, I think in-person training for such things, like welcome week activities for the freshmen, could include a safety training module,” Swaminathan said. “But online wasn’t super effective.”
Other students suggested giving more time to complete the training and including more information that is specific to the College, such as highlighting Campus Police’s 24-Hour Safe Walk Service. Overall, students said the mandatory training program did little to impact their feelings of campus safety.
“With or without this, I feel pretty safe on campus,” Swaminathan said. “Even at night time, I see Campus Police stationed throughout campus and it’s nice to know they’re there in case something happens.”
