Students can help make UC Davis a brighter, safer campus with a few simple clicks.
ASUCD, along with the help of Creative Media, implemented an online lighting repair request form that allows students to report broken or dead bulbs or bulbs covered by foliage in street lamps campus-wide.
In the past, students were able to report broken and covered bulbs through the Campus Safety Lighting Walk hosted by ASUCD and the UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD). However, the event only took place once a year and the turnout was low.
Now, students can request lighting repairs themselves online simply by providing the street lamp identification number. The request is then submitted directly to Power and Lights Superintendent Damon Williams.
Paul Min, ASUCD Senator and third-year philosophy major, has been involved in the collaboration from the start.
“It’s an online resource that students can use on their own time instead of going through a third party,” Min said. “The form can be filled out in under a minute, it’s student-friendly, accessible and is usually addressed within a week. It’s for students who are fed up with walking or biking in darkness. I hope that the availability of this form will empower students and allow them to have a say in lighting around campus.”
Williams agreed and explained what happens after he receives a request.
“It sounded like most students didn’t have access to our online customer service work order — this is a way to have their voices heard,” Williams said. “Depending on the nature of the defect, it could be as simple as a worker changing a bulb or a fuse. Generally it’s no big deal: I dispatch an electrician to diagnose the problem. A week is about the longest it would take; most fixes get done in the day.”
Fourth-year textiles and clothing major Erica Chan frequently stays on campus after 10 p.m. due to work, and is often frustrated with having to bike in low light.
“I think [the repair request form] is a good idea,” Chan said. “It’s useful if more people know about it. At night, it’s harder to see in front of you — another biker nearly ran into me last night. Some parts of campus can be really dark and scary, and good lighting really helps you see your surroundings and other people.”
Min agreed.
“Every student has a right to be safe and feel safe,” he said. “Campus safety is about students and the administration working together to hold each other accountable. Well-lit grounds help students be aware and prevent bike and pedestrian accidents.”
Students can find the repair request form online at asucd.ucdavis.edu/lightrepair.
STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
