<p>benel...thank you for articulating what I was thinking.</p>
<p>D1 does not feel unsafe on campus.</p>
<p>Doubt all you want, its your kid's safety, I am outa here soon enough. That said, I have been in a unique position to view most of what goes on here without having to worry about my job or being indoctrinated into the "company" mentality...not only have I seen all of this but I get to clean up after it too. I can only present you with the facts, its your job to use them.</p>
<p>All in all I would say the campus is safe, however I know that if it were to become unsafe that there is no plan, no effective contingency in place to mitigate a rapidly evolving threat. The campus is safe by virtue of its rural location and small student body combined with a good helping of dumb luck.</p>
<p>The absence of your own negative experiance is evidence of exactly nothing. In fact, blind ignorance of your type (in this particular instance), this perpetual plea of "everything will be alright if I shut my eyes and yell loud enough", is exactly what the problem is here, and elsewhere for that matter. Do you walk around saying, "Gee wiz, nothing bad could ever happen to me", and when confronted with the possibility you completely discount the claim? I don't expect you take what I say as gospel, but why call me a liar? What do I have to gain?</p>
<p>Some nights it feels like the crack infested ghetto, other days are tolerable. I'm not here to bash anyone, only to relay what I have seen. With some administrative changes Ursinsu has the location, faculty, staff and facilities to be a great school. I have never seen such blatant disregard for the safety of students and staff however, and I don't think I will ever be able to get past that disregard. It is very telling insofar as thier priorities.</p>
<p>I’m taking Fly’s remarks with a grain of salt, as should everyone else reading this thread. Why should we discount this college or any based on one disgruntled student’s view? Seriously.</p>
<p>same here, julieweb</p>
<p>not a bad mentality, and I certainly wouldn’t say discount the college, I have always maintained that the faculty in large part is very good here…it all depends on what you value most…I can only share the truth of my experiance, I try to stick to the facts, nothign more, mostly because they seem to me to speak for themselves, but also because Idon’t pretend to think that my opinion does or should matter much…</p>
<p>I have to step in and say something. I just heard about this forum tonight at a team dinner ironically. I am a part of the Field Hockey team here that made it to the final 4 this year, so I would say that this school takes its sports teams seriously. We practice 5-6 days a week and we respect our responsibility to our teammates, coaches, and our school. I cannot speak for other teams but from what friends have told me, they are just as serious as we are. On the matter of the music program, although it is not widely known, it is up and coming (I believe that was previously mentioned). If you want to participate, there is a large opportunity from the band, to an ocapello group, to individual bands that are welcome to perform at events throughout the school year. Our dance program just recieved a $10,000 grant to continue to develop and is making quite a name for themselves so far. Academically, the professor’s can be a hit or miss sometimes, but everyone is out to help you and doesn’t step in your way or inhibit you from pursuing your goals. Personally, I have had wonderful professors so far across the board from biology to sociology to cie. Housing here is not bad at all! The new dorms are gorgeous and the freshman dormitories are being updated as well (I believe the bathrooms are all being updated over the summer). Main street housing is not dangerous as long as you are smart. Look both ways when you cross the street. i think that’s a no brainer. While this school, I do agree, is a closet party school, it is common knowledge that it is a ‘wet’ campus. There is a push for more weekend activities for people who don’t drink and wismer lower lounge tries to have movie nights, air band performances, etc on the weekends to help accomodate those students. All in all, I absolutely love it here. I feel this thread got a bit off topic and you all need to hear more of the positive things about Ursinus. Ooh, also, this school is getting much more widely known, as some of my friends are from Florida, Oregon, and New York. I love it here for the people and the atmosphere. So if anyone has any questions that want another take on Ursinus life, please feel free to ask!</p>
<p>sounds fair jtl5. I still question the safety situation and the degree of drinking, but you are more or less accurate. Field Hockey has always been one of the best sports here…the football team is pretty bad though…did they win a game last season? Maybe 1…</p>
<p>I have been involved in performing arts for years to some extent and through family and friends. When I can afford them NYCB season tickets will be on the top of my list. The dance program has a couple of shining stars and a whole lot of losers. I regularly attend Muhlenberg performances and let me tell you, it is not even a fair comparison. Not to be a jerk, but never before had I seen an obese girl in pointe shoes performing (more than one on stage at that) until I came here. I try to avoid our dance events. I’ve been to more than my fair share of recitals and I put the majority of our modern, jazz and ballet at about a 5th grade level. If you are serious about dance as a career, do not come here.</p>
<p>FTH, I hope you find happiness after you graduate. </p>
<p>Your comment about the dancers was <em>way</em> out of bounds.</p>
<p>Unfortunately a high, even abnormal, degree of physical fitness is a quality requisite to the profession, all I am saying is that it is not a professional track program. Sugar coating the truth isn’t going to benefit any potential students seriously interested in dance. I’m not skinny, and there is nothing wrong with a larger person pursuing dance as a hobby, but this is not a program that will get you anywhere in the professional dance community if that is what you are looking for…</p>
<p>As far as finding happiness…I hold out hope, but I’m not holding my breath either. There’s an old saying “When you speak the truth have one foot in the stirrup.” I didn’t mean to be negative about it, I’m just here to spew the unadulterated truth with no regard to feelings…you can apply your own spin to what I offer, no sense in me twisting things on my own. 
I’m sorry if you were offended.</p>
<p>I am a current sophomore at Ursinus and I strongly urge all of you to disregard what Fly is saying. This is not an accurate picture of UC in any scope. First off safety is not a problem to any degree. If you can keep yourself safe in a typical suburb you are fine at Ursinus, the biggest threat to your safety is going to be occasionally crossing main street. I have been to many many other schools to visit friends and I can tell you the party scene at Ursinus, while it is vibrant and people do have a good time it really only consumers Friday and Saturday with some light partying on a Thursday night. Relative to almost any other school the partying is quite tame, especially considering local schools such as UDel, West Chester, UPenn, Temple and Drexel and is on par with places such as Haverford, Swat F&M and Dickinson. There is no more or less threat to anyones health and safety than these schools. If you want to party there will be a place to go, and this is part of being in college, of course people will be doing stupid things and if you don’t want to do it you don’t have to. The parties are mostly confined to Reimert and some Main St houses, so if you don’t want to be part of the party scene you don’t have to go. </p>
<p>Most people at Ursinus complain because of the lack of alcohol related events not the over abundance of them, and if you make a decision to not look at Ursinus because of this its a mistake. Honestly the only way you will find a tamer experience will probably be by attending either a suit-case school or a christian college. </p>
<p>As for some other things as a freshman I would recommend living in BPS or BWC as opposed to a New Building because there is a much better community feel in these buildings and you have a much better chance to make some great friends that you live with. They actually are very nice relative to freshman dorms at UDel and Haverford that I have visited. The buildings themselves are old but the insides are actually pretty well maintained. </p>
<p>The academics here are great, probably not the best in the liberal arts world but pretty damn close, the pre-med students overall are extremely motivated and intelligent along with many IR and politics students. There school also has some great philsosphy and english professors that I have had. </p>
<p>There is a lot more that I have to say but sadly im tired and need to go to bed. Please do not let one obviously disgruntled student who seems to have a little bit of a ax to grind about safety for some reason turn you away from a great school. College is a time to enjoy yourself and get exuberant at times and it is also a time that you need to focus and UC offers probably one of the best balances of the two in the college world. I myself chose UC from a few different LAC and I am glad i chose it. (Sorry for the bad grammar and typos)</p>
<p>ah, I see the administration’s shills have arrived…</p>
<p>do you really think I could make any of this stuff up? why? Why does highlighting the truth, which happens all on its own to be negative = ****ing in everyones collective cornflakes? What was the point in coming here if you aren’t open to considering the totality of the facts offered? So you could feel better about your uninformed decisions? I never asked anyone to disregard anyone else’s perspective or espouse my own, just to consider it as an informed experiance and move on…</p>
<p>Sticks and stones, FTH. You can disagree with others, but they’re not allowed to disagree with you?</p>
<p>Am I correct in thinking you are a senior? If so, I assume you’ll be graduating next month and searching for a job. Employers will be looking to hire people who not only are smart, flexible and capable, but also have a positive outlook on life and are able to get along well with their co-workers. It is never too late to learn these life skills.</p>
<p>I’m sorry you’ve been unhappy at Ursinus. I am sure there are a whole lot of students who would <em>gladly</em> trade places with you for the opportunities you’ve had over the past four years.</p>
<p>No doubt. Not looking for a job though.</p>
<p>There is no disagreement here as everything posted is a matter of opinion and subject to an individual’s experiance. I don’t appreciate being called a liar. If someone wishes to share a different experiance, that is fine, this website, and the interwebs in general are here to expose differing viewpoints and allow the reader to construct their own opinions based on the unique experiances of others. Say that your time here has been different than mine, but don’t tell me I am wrong or call me names, I’ve tried to put down the facts without my personal spin on them as best as I can. If you think I am disgruntled, consider the source of the experiances I have shared, not the person who has, as objectively as possible, relayed them to you. That’s all I ask.</p>
<p>What is the reputation of the business professors?
What is the balance between work and free time?
Thanks</p>
<p>Fly The Helo,</p>
<p>I have no problem that you post your opinion. Posting over and over points to you having an axe to grind. </p>
<p>Some things do hit home. From my visit with my son, there is no way that big parking lot doesn’t get emptied out on weekends and also your point about weekend food etc. seems fair. </p>
<p>But scaring off people with problems with security … in Collegeville, PA? Please. How many rapes on campus? Murders? Armed robberies? Assaults with a deadly weapon? This ‘post Virgina Tech’ scare tactics are just blatant attempts to hurt the college in their pocketbook by someone that sounds like they were turned down for a campus job as a security guard.</p>
<p>Well, in my personal experiance, not to speak to crime stats I have been directly involved in a number of incidents, like I said, one shots fired that I was witness to, a second a few days later relayed to me by a security officer, an assault on a couple, two of my friends and hallmates by three students armed with bricks. The guy took a brick to the chest and face and she was hit in the face. There was a rather nasty assault involving a student with a knife and a major assault without the weapon in the same incident. I had a 400 lb drunk wrap his hands around my throat whom I had to fight off. I have at least two friends who were for all intents and purposes raped…blackout drunk taken back to the guys room…I could go on…throw in a few violent domestic disputes and the administrations active discouragement of students and student responders calling 911 directly and you have a possibly dangerous situation…</p>
<p>Now what I think is important is to note that regardless of what a campus administration does some of these incidents will occur; it is the lack of a response, the apathy and intentional burying of these incidents that bothers me. In 2005 the school sent a letter to the Collegeville Police Department telling them to stay off of campus property unless they are called specifically. Take it how you will, I’m just tell you my experiance, no less no more.</p>
<p>The campus doesn’t hire student security btw. You will find me praising the faculty and academic programs just as much as you will find me outing the security disaster on here, I could lie but what good would that do? If you don’t want the truth don’t come here looking for people’s experiances.</p>
<p>My son and I visited Ursinus. Son’s cousin/my nephew is in his first year there and loves it–has made good friends, very engaged in classes, says professors are very attentive and care about teaching. Also says plenty to do (maybe because he has gotten involved in a number of groups that interest him–I think with any college a student has to make the effort–I attended a large state university and the people there who were not involved complained that there was nothing to do), though would like it to be easier to get off campus, would like a car at some point. Partying is there, he partakes to a degree, but not a big deal (this came via my son, so I think has some cred, nephew wasn’t talking to me). Nephew says security not a concern at all, and having visited campus and driven around the area it is hard for me to believe that is not true–Collegeville is as about as suburban as it comes, it just is not credible that security is a real concern at Ursinus. Toured campus, very nice, nice combo of older and newer buildings, very well maintained. Met a number of nephew’s friends, very friendly, all seem pretty satisfied. I also know several alums who are very successful lawyers in Phila (I am a lawyer in another city), they absolutely vouch for the place, say they got a terrific education which prepared them well for top flight law schools (they say they were better prepared than people who went to more prestigous schools). I asked a few about safety, they were absolutly perplexed that anyone would think this is a significant concern at Ursinus. This is a school I would be happy for my son to attend, though I think it will not be his first choice.</p>
<p>“Security” is not often measured by the necessity for uniformed agents standing on every corner and in every hallway with M-16’s slung over their shoulders, the security capabilites of any institution are measured by their ability to respond to a variety of potential incidents from medical emergencies to fires to active shooters. Ursinus’s plan is to underfund thier EMS squad, prevent students from calling ambulances, take the fire department to court and plant trees and install bollards to make sure they can’t get onto campus easily and to send a letter to the local Police department telling them they are not welcome on campus property unless they are called. Campus Safety personnel are humiliated and berated by thier superisor and to top it all off, if they need to call the Police they have to phone an RD first to get permission. These are all facts, not opinion, facts…nothing to do with my personal beliefs or biases.</p>
<p>In contrast, Muhlenberg’s solution is to have an armed on-campus Police force and welcome Allentown PD on their territory, to have a well funded and professional EMS squad which is encouraged to call for backup if needed and to stage drills with the local fire department on thier front lawn. </p>
<p>Not to pick on anyone, but how many 18-22 yr olds are security and safety conscious? Judging by the numbers of them I watch jumping head first out of second story windows…not many…</p>
<p>Virginia Tech had an inadequate Police response, as did Columbine, University of Illinois Police enterd the building and confronted the suspect within minutes…there is no one here willing to put their lives on the line to protect us and we have seen what is necessary. Collegeville PD has 2-3 officers on duty. This isn’t an Ursinus issue either, this is an issue common amongst many American Colleges and Universities, some institutions have become proactive, others have chosen to bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best, a good healthy liberal fear based response (what happened to “save the children,” “think about the children”?), what will you do?</p>
<p>Let me just say this one more time, as far as the academics go, Ursinus is a pretty good school and maybe even better if your interests align with the main focus of your department, Bio majors interested in Ecology, for example. I don’t have many bad things to say about my education except a handful of downright poor instructors, but that is to be expected at most places anyway.</p>
<p>The security issues are real, but it all depends on what you value most. 70% of the time if you avoid risky activities, have no serious medical problems and stay out of bad situations it won’t matter. If you are in dire need of an ambulance and your condition isn’t readily apparent to untrained staff, or if there is an active shooter, you’re pretty much screwed. Knowing what I know now, if I had to do it all over again, and if money wasn’t an issue, I would have to think long and hard about coming to Ursinus, and I’m sure many other schools (if I knew the truth of what really goes on at them).</p>
<p>I would never tell anyone what decision they should make, and I won’t try to steer anyone away from Ursinus; it absolutely makes no difference to me in any way. I’m just here telling the informed truth to the best of my experience, a truth that maybe only 1% or less of the students here or anywhere really encounter on a regular basis.</p>
<p>I hear you, but I am surprised you do not transfer or simply decide you made your point through your many posts and find some happier ways to spend your time.</p>
<p>Your points about police mistakes at Columbine and Virginia Tech do not prove your thesis–in both of those cases, there were more than adequate police teams on the scene, but the people at the top made very stupid decisions–at Columbine, not to enter the school and at Virginia, not to lockdown the campus because they decided an ex-boyfriend had done the initial killings. Even if Ursinus had whatever police presence you want, a you could windup in the same situation.</p>