A Northwestern task force hopes its six recommendations will help mend the university’s sometimes rocky relationship with Evanston while improving student life.

A Student-Community Relations Task Force report released last week identified excessive drinking, among many other reasons, as a cause for the tension between NU and the city.

The task force’s report found that there were 23 incidents Fall Quarter, 15 involving freshmen, in which students were hospitalized for alcohol-related issues. The report also cited 33 off-campus noise violations.

The group, made up of student leaders and faculty members, issued six recommendations aimed at addressing these issues.

They include creating more spaces on campus for students to socialize on weekends, creating a Northwestern-Chicago shuttle, shortening the “freshman freeze” that prohibits freshmen from entering fraternity and sorority houses, improving alcohol education, creating an off-campus housing office and shortening Wildcat Welcome.

The task force met six times during Fall Quarter and its recommendations were presented to about 20 administrators Dec. 5.

“It’s in their hands now,” said Jonathan Webber, Associated Student Government president. “It’s their turn.”

The Weinberg senior, who organized the task force, said he is still meeting with administrators involved with the university budget. He said he hopes to see some of the recommendations in the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee’s list of recommendations. But a large part of the task force’s recommendations depends on the administration.

The university has already worked to create spaces for students to socialize, including Lisa’s Café in Slivka Residential College and Tech Express in the Technological Institute.

“The popularity of Tech Express showed a need for additional space and accommodations,” said William Banis, vice president for student affairs.

The task force suggested creating such a space in Shanley Pavilion when there is a new location for student theater groups’ performances.

Webber recommended creating an off-campus housing office for the about 3,000 students who don’t live in university housing.

The office would help off-campus students understand their rights as tenants and their access to Evanston resources, and help connect students to landlords, aldermen and Evanston staffers.

“Hopefully, they’ll build (the office) into the budget this year,” Webber said.

Some of these recommendations are already being worked on. The External Relations Committee has prioritized creating an off-campus Web site to review apartments in Evanston, and a weekend Chicago shuttle.

Even though Banis considers the task force’s recommendations “overall constructive and positive,” he said it is unlikely some recommendations, such as shortening Wildcat Welcome or the freshman freeze, will take effect in the near future.

“To shorten Wildcat Welcome would mean schools have to re-engineer a system that evolved over years,” he said. “We’re looking at enriching Wildcat Welcome and adding new and more appealing and exciting programs, both on-and off-campus.”

The freshman freeze, which currently lasts four weeks, is also unlikely to be shortened, Banis said.

Even though he said it would be hard to implement all the task force’s recommendations, Banis said that the task force report provided important ideas the university will consider.

“It gives another source of input to help shape thinking,” he said. “It’s an important thing for students and staff to be working together on issues.”

Reach Alice Truong at [email protected].

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