I was very pleased to see that Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman is challenging UMass about supervising students in off-campus housing. His position in asking UMass to account for its unilateral decisions about students returning to campus is totally appropriate.
Unfortunately, it is also very much overdue. The fact that UMass does not consult the town cannot be surprising. There is a long history of UMass imposing its presence on the town of Amherst without consideration for the consequences to the town. On occasion there is a nod toward a “good neighbor” policy, but it is usually superficial and involves cookies rather than substance or respect for its neighbors.
I encourage Mr. Bockelman to continue to insist that UMass takes responsible positions that include the interest of the town and not only UMass. I also encourage town council to actively support the town manager and to be involved in establishing a more equal presence. The colossus of UMass derives great benefit from being attached to Amherst and needs to act accordingly.
David Sloviter
Amherst