University of New Mexico students offer mixed reactions to new dorm policies

Some students at the University of New Mexico say recent policy changes that restrict access to the dormitories are a good idea — while others say they have not been effective.

On Friday, the school issued a news release outlining a new policy requiring that dorm guests be UNM students and registered. The college is also limiting access to residence halls to a single entry point.

“(The limited access) will help prevent unwanted guests who shouldn’t be in the building from entering,” the release states.

According to a Sept. 8 school news release, “a guest is any person not assigned to the respective room.”

“All guests must be UNM students, except family or friends assisting with move in or move out,” the release states. “Residents are responsible for their guests’ behavior and must escort them at all times.”

The changes come three months after 14-year-old Michael LaMotte was fatally shot in a dorm room on the university campus.

UNM freshman and Casas del Rio resident Jordan Jones said the change to dorm access has not been effective “because people have been placing rocks on the bottom of the other doors to keep them open so people can get in.”

Other students like senior Shania Griego said they like the policy changes, “especially with the recent shooting that happened here on campus a couple of months ago.”

On July 25, LaMotte was fatally shot inside a dorm room at Casas del Rio, a student housing center north of Johnson Field. UNM Police Chief Joseph Silva said the room was leased by 18-year-old Daniel Archuleta, who was one of the four people in the room when the shooting occurred.

Archuleta was enrolled in the school’s Gateway program, which is designed for first-year students who do not immediately meet UNM’s freshman admission requirements, according to the school.

“I think, overall, it seemed a little bit much,” Griego said about the changes, “but I think safety is the No. 1 priority for many places, and I know it’s the No. 1 priority for UNM as well.”

“All these extra measures could do some good for the community and for the students,” she said.

Undergraduate student Joe Daugherty said he doesn’t think “any one or two or three changes, even, would solve (the) problem but maybe it does limit it.”

UNM did not comment on the policy changes, other than to say they took effect Aug. 18 the start of the fall semester.

According to the Oct. 24 news release, the idea for the changes came from recommendations provided in the school’s 2023 campus safety culture survey. The release did not mention the high-profile shooting, which spurred scrutiny of the UNM police response and the university outlining safety changes to come.

The goal of the 2023 survey, according to the news release, “was to gather the opinions and experiences of each on-campus constituent group to understand their perspectives, practices, and how they felt about leadership commitment toward the campus environment.”

Aside from dorm access changes, the school added more cameras throughout the residential areas. The release states UNM also has increased “access to the student safety team.”

“They are always available to provide escorts for students and have dedicated phone lines, allowing residents to easily reach out to them anytime they need assistance,” according to the release.

Griego said she believes more can still be done to make the school safer.

“I think providing more security around campus would probably help,” she said. “I know a cousin would hear shootings, like right here at Redondo (Village Apartments), at night and everything. So, maybe just a little bit more security patrolling.”