In the days of yore I got my degree from UCLA and have since become a life member of the Alumni Association. Shortly after I entered school there, I found these fabulous study lounges on campus, one of which features a wonderful club-like atmosphere and deep, overstuffed leather chairs. Of course I used this and other lounges while a student, and, after graduating I would still often stop by if I was on campus for some other reason. I used to work out there, and frequently checked out books from the library, and almost always stopped for coffee at the on-campus coffeehouse that was right near the lounges. Accordingly, if the coffeehouse was crowded and there was no place to sit, I’d have my coffee in the lounge. I kept this habit up for a few years.
Flash forward about 15 years, and now I’m taking a calculus course at SMC (a local community college). But UCLA is still a lot closer to where I live, so if I want to study on a weekend, I go there. I’m welcome to use the library, but if the library isn’t open, I can’t use the study lounges because they’re now posted with signs warning that anyone besides students, staff, or faculty is subject to arrest and prosecution for trespassing. WTF?!? If I’m caught sitting in a nearly empty study lounge working with my pencils, notes, and math book, I’m going to be frigging arrested? Probably not, because most people there still assume I’m a student. But the signs still rankle me. It’s not like I’m crowding out some bona-fide current student. It’s summer and there’s hardly anyone around.
(In my earlier years, they did have quite a problem with vagrants, but I would think that they could arrest those people for “loitering”).
On a related note, as a newcomer to SMC I find that the student commons is not unlike a high school cafeteria in atmosphere, while adjacent to the commons is a cool-looking little coffeeshop which is restricted to faculty and staff. Community college my eye!
Or, I guess some communities are more equal than others.
I’m not sure if I know what you’re getting at here, but as I understand it, just because it’s public property doesn’t mean you can’t be asked to leave (or, in this case, told by a sign that you don’t belong there in the first place).
The police officers around here enforce trespassing pretty simply: if there’s a sign saying you don’t belong there or if you’ve been told not to come back, and you’re there, you’re trespassing.
I’m not really getting at anything, I’m just vexed. I’m very vexed.
I probably should have put this in the Pit, but I don’t swear very well.
*Signs, signs, everywhere a sign, Locking up the scenery breaking my line --No you can’t sit, no you can’t eat, you ain’t supposed to BE HERE!!! — The Five Man Electrical Band *
Well, just because a university is public doesn’t mean that all parts are open to everyone–not even to all students. Not everyone is allowed in research labs, for example, or in, say, staff areas of the library, or dormitories. This is for security reasons. There are other things, like computer labs, that are restricted to registered students because of space and resource issues.
Either one of these could be the reason for the limitation. Apparently UCLA has had some problems in the past with non-students in its study lounges. Either it’s a space issue (during the school year, but they aren’t going to officially lift the limitation for summer, although they may not enforce it) or it’s a security issue. Since you mentioned the problems with vagrants in the past, I’m going to guess it was the latter. Perhaps someone was even harrassed or threatened there.
It might be (IANAL) that it is more difficult to arrest someone for “loitering” in a room designed for people to sit in and read or study or think deep thoughts. Therefore, it’s easier to post a ban on non-students and then arrest any non-students there for trespassing. This does make sense. Tax dollars helped pay for the room, but they paid for a room for students to study in, not for bums to hang out in. Since it’s difficult to legally define “studying” and easier to define “registered student”, that’s where they draw the line. Also, registered students are currently paying tuition–that should get a person more privileges, right? And, for any non-UCLA students who wish to legitimately study, the library is still open to everyone.
It sucks, but it does make sense. Perhaps someone at the Alumni Association knows the reason for the restriction.
I could almost swear that it was the vagrants. In my student and recent alumnus days I remember frequently seeing two or three people who obviously weren’t from the campus community. The signs I mentioned have been in place for years now, so it’s not because of Sept. 11, 01.
Still, as a (presumably) unintended target I do think it sucks, and only hope that my permission to access the campus will not be further restricted.
Maybe the Alumni Association can talk to the library folks about letting alums hang out in the lounges? I’m sure they don’t consciously mean to piss off the alums; maybe they just haven’t thought about people like you. A private university near me specifically mentions alums on their doors as permitted guests under their otherwise similar visitor policy.
Colleges and universities also have notorious problems with dirty old men hanging around trying to pick up on/ molest female students. And pretty male students, for all I know.
Alumni usually have permission to be on campus beyond that of the general public. For example, the university I went to closes its gates after midnight, and to get back on campus you have to present some evidence that you belong there: a student ID, a parking permit . . .
And as we recently found out, alumni are granted the same 24-hour access to the campus. They just have to check our names against a directory, and we’re in. Not sure how useful that is after midnight (unless we’re visiting undergrads); the buildings are all locked and you need a room key to get in the dorms. But hey, they can’t keep me away from those trees and . . . um . . . the campus ATM!