Newly installed fencing on the upper levels of the parking garage. Photo by Jada Gangazha.
ERIKA KOVACH | STAFF REPORTER | ekovach@butler.edu
As Butler students return to school this week, one of the new improvements on campus includes fencing surrounding the parking garage.
Additions to the area follow the loss of student Sam Fingard last semester, as an independent petition was organized advocating for suicide-preventative architecture on the parking garage that garnered over 6,000 signatures.
Mark Apple, the university director of strategic communications, said the decision to add to the parking garage comes from collaboration between President James Danko’s cabinet and deans throughout the college.
“We also consulted faculty with expertise in human factors psychology to help assess what improvements were needed from a safety standpoint,” Apple said.
The results currently include fencing on three sides of the fourth and fifth floors of the parking garage, which was completed earlier this month. To complete the construction, anti-climb mesh will be installed on the sixth floor and windows on the fifth floor in October.
On-campus resources, including Counseling & Consultation Services (CCS), also stepped up to provide support for students last semester and continue to make plans for the future.
Keith Magnus, Director of CCS, said that he had previously compiled estimates and companies for reduction fencing to suggest to the university, and was prepared to bring these suggestions to psychology professors and university professionals when approached last spring.
“I was definitely on board with something happening to make it harder to jump from high places on campus, like the parking garage,” Magnus said. “It was a matter of knowing that means reduction works. If you put up netting or just something to make that access a little harder, you can hopefully save some lives.”
According to Magnus, students around CCS spoke positively about the changes and believe them to be beneficial. With plans to put up a new parking garage on South Campus, these preventative measures will be integrated into the initial construction phases.
In tandem with changes made by the university, CCS will continue to offer suicide prevention training through Campus Connect, which is available at their offices or upon request from campus groups or departments. This semester, their session will be held on World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept. 10.
Additionally, CCS hopes to implement new programs and resources on campus — a new 24/7 crisis line is now available for university students and staff to connect with licensed clinicians through Mantra Health. Magnus hopes this option will provide support on evenings, weekends and other occasions where CCS may not be available — the hotline can be accessed by calling the CCS office number.
Butler’s Student Government Association (SGA) also supported the changes made as assets to their Mental Health and Well-Being board.
Alyssa Shaia, a senior political science major and director of the board, said the board offered to help fund safety structures at the end of last year. Still, the administration had already successfully secured funding at the time.
“As director of the board this year, I have made a point to make anti-bullying a core ideal in our efforts for this year, alongside the continued focus on anti-bullying within SGA [as a whole],” Shaia said. “We hope to continue the effort to prevent future harm of this nature on campus and continue the very important work of advocating for every student’s mental health.”
