COMMUNITY SURVEY

About:
Contingent their grant, Students for a Safer Southside were requested to survey long-term residents the Willard Park Neighborhood to determine if (and if so, how) increased alcohol awareness and enforcement has impacted the south campus neighborhood area.

Methods:
Students initially developed a sixteen-question survey to administer to the south-of-campus community. In the first attempt to reach residents, students went door to door from the areas of Telegraph to College and Derby to Ashby. Long-time residents were the target population, so survey administrators skipped apartment buildings. Surveys were either administered at the door to residents or paper copies were left for those who were willing to fill out the survey at a later date. Residents that did not answer their door had their addresses recorded and were sent a mailed copy of the survey to return. A total of 220 residences were visited for the survey during the summer of 2006.

Results:
There was a 24% response rate for the 220 residences surveyed. 76.5% of all respondents rated the quality of life at their neighborhood as good or excellent. Residents were most aware (42%) of the Chancellor’s Task Force on Student/Neighbor Relations. 66% of residents felt that a Social Host Ordinance would be an effective option to curtail alcohol-related problems in the south-of-campus neighborhood. About half (50%) of all respondents claim to have had a negative experience with a student in the last year. More results and a comprehensive report are forthcoming.