Center for Student Engagement Attempts to Make Students Better Neighbors

by Jenna Spoont

GW is trying to make its students better neighbors through an online tool.

On Sept. 30, the University’s Center for Student Engagement (CSE) sent out an email to all students for a mandatory online program. The module, titled “Being a Good Neighbor,” is designed to educate the student body about their rights and responsibilities as residents of Foggy Bottom and Washington. Originally, the deadline to complete the module was October 9th.  However, the CSE now says  all students must complete the course, which takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, by Oct. 25th.

CSE changed the due date because students are having difficulty with viewing the orientation modules. Technical issues can be solved by updating Java on the web browser or contacting The Office for Information Technology.

According to Director for Student Engagement Andrew Goretsky, there are two modules, one for on-campus students and one for off-campus students. Each attempts to familiarize students with the rules and regulations that come with living in Washington.

After absorbing the responsibilities of Off-Campus Student Affairs in 2011, the Center for Student Engagement said it observed that students were not familiar with the laws of the Washington community.

“GW students are going to live in communities the rest of their lives and we want to train, educate and empower them to be active and engaged members of those communities,” Goretsky said.

With that in mind, the Center for Student Engagement developed the online modules to provide students with basic knowledge about neighborhood policies, taking into account input and feedback from a variety of organizations including the Office of Government & Community Relations, External Relations, the Division of Student Affairs Staff, the Office of General Counsel, students, student leaders and neighbors.

“This is a short orientation with good information for all students,” Goretsky said. “We want students to take the time to complete the orientation. CSE staff will work to follow up with those students who don’t complete the orientation.”

The Foggy Bottom Residents Alliance also began dropping off packets outlining rules and regulations on many off-campus housing units in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, as part of a broader push to ease tensions with Foggy Bottom neighbors who have complained about the conduct of GW students living in the area.

Marina Streznewski, president of the Foggy Bottom Residents Alliance, wrote in the introductory letter of the packet, “Every one of your neighbors can regale you with stories of terrible student behavior—and every one of us can talk about truly awesome student neighbors. We hope you will choose awesome.”

In the 2011-2012 annual Community Concerns Report from the Office of Off-Campus Student Affairs, the number of complaints and incidents decreased from the 2010-2011 school year. The report calculated 88 complaints and incidents from 2011-2012 and 124 from 2010-2011. This data represents reports from the Community Concern Line, the University Police Department and the Office of Government & Community relations.

“You are joining a pretty diverse community,” Streznewski said in the letter. “But all of us must respect the D.C. Noise at Night Law that prohibits any noise that might disturb someone else between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.”

Meanwhile, this summer, GW began an attempt to lobby the District to allow GWPD patrols to be able to go to off campus residences, as well as a controversial push to register all off-campus Greek Life housing. These policies are still being debated between neighbors, students and the University at community meetings including one that took place last month when Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jackson Carnes accused University officials of attempting to keep GW Greek Life leaders from attending the meeting.