Anonymous
Anonymous
Twin Beds and Double Standards: The Male Faculty Living In LLC1
Twin Beds and Double Standards: The Male Faculty Living In LLC1
*The author chose not to disclose their identity
On Sunday Jan. 18, around 8 p.m. in the Stewart Living & Learning Center (LLC1), an unidentified male wearing a black jacket and red shirt was seen in the building and was tailgating student residents in the laundry room. Residents were told to report this individual to campus safety and advised to stay in their rooms.
Later, through text messages from Resident Advisors (RAs), it was confirmed that this individual was Dr. Ebuka Oguchi, a visiting professor in the Computer and Information Sciences Department who was an authorized resident through the Office of the Provost. Despite receiving this authorization, student residents and RAs were not made aware that there were any faculty living in LLC1, moreover that any males whatsoever resided in the building.
At the time of this incident, LLC1 residents did not have visitation, so the reception of a male being in the dorm and bothering students was more jarring.
“Transparency and communication were clearly not a priority for the college. Our safety is important and as an all-female school and dorm we should have known in our lease if males would be in the same halls,” one first-year student said.
Frustration regarding this incident and the continued presence of male faculty in what is understood to be an all-female student dorm was highlighted at a floor meeting on Jan. 19. In this meeting, it was made clear that RAs were not aware of the situation and students were directed to ask the Resident Director, Katie Rusley, who was not present at the meeting, for more information.
Upon receiving several requests for comment and clarity regarding the living situation and rules in LLC1, Rusley declined to comment and referred students to campus security.
In addition to residing within LLCI, Oguchi did not have ID access to the building and instead had a key. Prior to this revelation, it was understood that the only individuals with key access to the building were the Office of Student Housing and the Resident Director for the area. The lack of ID access to the building means that the comings and goings of the only male resident in LLC1 were not digitally tracked, while the same comings and goings of student residents are digitally tracked every day.
The last and most glaring revelation from this incident was the rules residents are subject to that Oguchi was exempt from. Student residents have very regulated, and at times, restricted visitation rules. For example, students are only allowed one guest at a time, guests are not allowed overnight and guests are not allowed in shared spaces like the laundry room.
The blatant double standards, lack of communication from the housing department staff and lax security measures raise the question if this incident was a genuine oversight by the college or a deliberate disregard of student comfort in favor of faculty convenience.
As students at the #1 Historically Black College (U.S. News & World Report) and America’s #1 College for Women (Newsweek), respect for female autonomy, privacy and security should not be an afterthought but a priority and Spelman’s continued refusal to address student resident concerns and remove Oguchi from LLC1 speaks volumes.
As outlined in Spelman’s Community Living Guide, every student has the right to “have a safe and secure environment, the right to privacy, and address situations or behaviors that violate the Community Living Guide in a respectful manner.” Residents of LLC1 expected to have clear communication and now they demand answers and action.
Oguchi and Rusley were contacted and declined to comment.
*The author chose not to disclose their identity
On Sunday Jan. 18, around 8 p.m. in the Stewart Living & Learning Center (LLC1), an unidentified male wearing a black jacket and red shirt was seen in the building and was tailgating student residents in the laundry room. Residents were told to report this individual to campus safety and advised to stay in their rooms.
Later, through text messages from Resident Advisors (RAs), it was confirmed that this individual was Dr. Ebuka Oguchi, a visiting professor in the Computer and Information Sciences Department who was an authorized resident through the Office of the Provost. Despite receiving this authorization, student residents and RAs were not made aware that there were any faculty living in LLC1, moreover that any males whatsoever resided in the building.
At the time of this incident, LLC1 residents did not have visitation, so the reception of a male being in the dorm and bothering students was more jarring.
“Transparency and communication were clearly not a priority for the college. Our safety is important and as an all-female school and dorm we should have known in our lease if males would be in the same halls,” one first-year student said.
Frustration regarding this incident and the continued presence of male faculty in what is understood to be an all-female student dorm was highlighted at a floor meeting on Jan. 19. In this meeting, it was made clear that RAs were not aware of the situation and students were directed to ask the Resident Director, Katie Rusley, who was not present at the meeting, for more information.
Upon receiving several requests for comment and clarity regarding the living situation and rules in LLC1, Rusley declined to comment and referred students to campus security.
In addition to residing within LLCI, Oguchi did not have ID access to the building and instead had a key. Prior to this revelation, it was understood that the only individuals with key access to the building were the Office of Student Housing and the Resident Director for the area. The lack of ID access to the building means that the comings and goings of the only male resident in LLC1 were not digitally tracked, while the same comings and goings of student residents are digitally tracked every day.
The last and most glaring revelation from this incident was the rules residents are subject to that Oguchi was exempt from. Student residents have very regulated, and at times, restricted visitation rules. For example, students are only allowed one guest at a time, guests are not allowed overnight and guests are not allowed in shared spaces like the laundry room.
The blatant double standards, lack of communication from the housing department staff and lax security measures raise the question if this incident was a genuine oversight by the college or a deliberate disregard of student comfort in favor of faculty convenience.
As students at the #1 Historically Black College (U.S. News & World Report) and America’s #1 College for Women (Newsweek), respect for female autonomy, privacy and security should not be an afterthought but a priority and Spelman’s continued refusal to address student resident concerns and remove Oguchi from LLC1 speaks volumes.
As outlined in Spelman’s Community Living Guide, every student has the right to “have a safe and secure environment, the right to privacy, and address situations or behaviors that violate the Community Living Guide in a respectful manner.” Residents of LLC1 expected to have clear communication and now they demand answers and action.
Oguchi and Rusley were contacted and declined to comment.