Following a 15-inch snowfall, Indiana University Facilities placed a snow shovel at each residence hall for student use.
On Thursday, IU Student Government sent a message to students stating, “The university has informed us that Facilities has placed, or is in the process of placing, shovels at all residence halls to assist you all in navigating sidewalks, entry points, and your vehicles.”
Freshman Gwen Moore was frustrated by the university’s decision to provide shovels instead of fully clearing campus walkways, especially given the cost of tuition. She said she did not like the email’s expectation that students shovel sidewalks.
“I should not have to be shoveling the sidewalk to get to Ballantine Hall without slipping and falling and walking in a single final line,” Moore said.
IU Student Government and IU Residence Life did not respond to requests for comment.
IU freshman Ethan Grimes said he appreciated the university’s effort to help students.
“It's nice that they're sending out something and making sure we're keeping safe, but they still want us to go to class in these kinds of unsafe conditions,” Grimes said. “At least they're trying to do something.”
Grimes said the shovels were available before the email was sent, allowing him to use one at his dorm earlier in the week. He said the shovel was helpful in digging out his car after the storm.
“It basically got buried,” Grimes said. “When I went to shovel my car, it was basically just a snow igloo around my car, and it took me about an hour to get it unburied. There is still snow behind other cars.”
In a statement, an IU spokesman said Facilities staff have been working to clear campus roads and sidewalks since the storm. According to the university, IU Facilities is responsible for clearing 55 miles of sidewalks, 809 sets of stairs, 20 miles of roadway, and 214 parking lots across the Bloomington campus.
“During the response, Facilities has prioritized emergency road access for first responders with subsequent focus on ADA curbs and primary and secondary sidewalks,” the statement said. “Snow removal remains an ongoing process. Over the coming days, we will continue to leverage internal and contractor support to remove snow from campus.”
