The University of Rhode Island’s board of trustees updated its proposed regulations on Feb. 13 regarding land use at the university, which was heavily contested during the fall semester, according to Student Senate President, Argha Goswami.
The updated policy allows the distribution of leaflets, the use of amplified sound and protest gatherings as long as they do not interfere with university operations, according to the URI website.
The original draft prohibited the distribution of flyers, amplified sound and temporary structures, the consequences of which would result in suspension or expulsion from the university, according to a post made by Goswami on the student senate Instagram.
When the first draft was proposed in October 2024, there was pushback from the student senate and the student body, according to Goswami.
Goswami and Student Senate Vice President Sanah Feroz shared a post on their joint Instagram page calling for students to give feedback via an online forum. Students expressed their concerns through the online forum and in the comments section of the post.
“I would say around 95% of the people had issues with it,” Goswami said. “Only 5% were kind of for it, because they felt like it was hindering free speech across all political aisles, [and for] just all people in general.”
In response, the university administration formed a review committee, in which a student and faculty representative could give feedback and allow the regulations to be passed with both student and faculty senate approval. Goswami nominated herself as the student representative.
“After having held multiple jobs across the campus in housing, different research labs, being building managers in different buildings, I felt like I was in a well suited position to be able to contribute to this committee,” Goswami said.
The updated regulations also include a new policy on the use of bikes, scooters and skateboards on campus. Pedestrians on campus had complained about motorized scooter and bike usage on walkways impeding the flow of traffic, according to Goswami.
Most of these regulations are not meant to restrict or discourage the use of these personal transportation devices, according to Abby Benson, vice president of administration and finance at URI.
“The reason it’s considered a regulation is because it applies to [not just] the university community, but for people that come onto campus,” Benson said. “It’s not just faculty, students and staff but anyone that’s on campus.”
The new regulations state that the URI Department of Public Safety will start to develop rules and protocols that reflect the university’s commitment to accessibility and sustainable transportation, according to Benson.
“Our goal is to ultimately make sure these transportation alternatives are used in a safe manner while not discouraging their uses,” Benson said.
Public safety has already drafted rules and regulations regarding the use of scooters and bicycles and they will be finalized within the coming weeks and immediately posted on the URI Public Safety website, according to Benson.
The regulations are being drafted due to safety concerns, with a number of student complaints of near injuries due to electric scooters’ high speeds, according to Dan Graney, dean of students at URI.
There have also been concerns with how these PTDs are being stored and charged, since charging the batteries for these devices are restricted in the dorm halls and sometimes the devices get in the way of exits, causing fire hazard concerns, according to Graney.
“It’s a way for us to clarify where on campus you can use the PTDs and the best way to use them safely and where you can store them,” Graney said.
There have been concerns about students traveling on PTDs in traffic and in areas where it may not be considered safe on campus, according to Graney. The new regulations are meant to create clear guidelines for usage while also addressing safety concerns.
URI hasn’t had to make these kinds of regulations in a long time, according to Graney.
“There used to be a policy about skateboards, I believe it was under transportation and parking, then it evolved into this,” Graney said.
Once the regulations are approved by the board of trustees at URI, the student handbook will be updated and the students will be notified in an appropriate manner, according to Graney.
“It’s not meant to be punitive,” Graney said. “I see these regulations as the right thing to do. We want the community to be safe and I think this is a good first step to figuring out how life on campus will go moving forward.”
Goswami felt that the university valued the inputs that she gave in the review committee. She credited Theodore Walls, the faculty senate president, for empowering her and making sure student voices were heard.
“I do wish that this was done proactively and not retroactively after a lot of backlash,” Goswami said. “Because this is something that affects the whole student body, they should be more open about it.”
The updated regulations can be found on the URI website.
