Oct. 22, 2014 — Beginning next semester, Student Association’s Student Life Committee will be piloting a program for the installation of heat lamps in on-campus bus stops. During this test period, heat lamps will be installed in two bus stops to combat the always chilly start to SU’s spring semester.

In order to make environmentally friendly decisions throughout the installation process, Director of Student Life Aysha Seedat and members of her Student Life Committee met with administrators from the Office of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management, Campus Planning, Design, and Construction and Physical Plant. Ultimately, the specific heat lamps that are being highly considered for this pilot program include a five minute timer, meaning that once turned on, the lamps will only give off heat in five minute intervals. That way, even if students forget to turn them off, unnecessary energy use is kept to an absolute minimum.

The Student Association will also be meeting with the Office of Risk Management to identify and work through the challenges that may come from the installation, such as regulating temperature and heat output. Then, we will be speaking with the Department of Public Safety to ensure that the bus stops are included in nightly rounds; the heat lamps are for Syracuse University students, and it’s important that students are the ones using them.

Improving everyday conditions here on campus is the primary objective of the Student Life Committee, and we have not and will not take any action that has the potential to do more harm than good. As such, keeping students in the loop is crucial. The Student Association welcomes any and all student contributions on this matter; transparency and communication are extremely important to us. Please email Director of Student Life Aysha Seedat at aaseedat@syr.edu if you have any questions, comments or concerns, and the Student Association and Student Life Committee will continue to distribute updates on this story in a timely manner.

 Aysha Seedat, director of student life
Austin Galovski, director of public relations