"It is crucial to have student involvement in a mandatory program for students," says Assistant Dean of the College Karen Avery, who helps plan the event. "They provide an important perspective on what students want and need to know on safety concerns."

"Building a Safe Community" is also responsive to student concerns, planners say.

"Students came to the table, and their feedback was responded to," says Linda J. Frazier, program manager for health promotion and community services in UHS.

"With this program, there's an incredible amount of student input...they're the audience, and so they're the best gauge of [whether we're] getting the message across," she says.

Despite rave reviews for students' contributions to "Building a Safe Community," student involvement in planning other parts of the week minimal.

But Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth Studley Nathans says the academic components of orientation, such as placement tests and departmental advising, would "make it inappropriate for the [week's] program to be run entirely by students."

She notes that Crimson Key representatives, prefects and First-Year Outdoor, Arts and Urban Program leaders provide new students with access to seasoned undergraduates.

Nathan adds that the FDO is responsive to student concerns and solicits orientation suggestions from the First Year Caucus, the Yard Bulletin and through proctors.

Orientation Limitations

Orientation is by its nature limited, deans say, and cannot entirely prepare first-years.

Time constraints and the high number of incoming students make it difficult for deans to give students an introduction to every aspect of the University.

"No orientation program can address any issue to maximum depth," Nathans says. "We are attempting to provide students with an introduction to issues and to sources of information."

Coordinators say they are also worried about information overload.

"We're competing for precious time," says Manager of Health Education to UHS Christine Hollis, who helps plan "Building a Safe Community."

"It would be hard to do more without starting to annoy people," she says.