Lafayette College added 148 illuminated paving stones to Quad walkways over the summer after months of student calls for better-lit nighttime paths, The Lafayette reported.
The effort followed an October petition from the college’s Gender-Based Violence Research Lab. The lab cited research indicating that students—especially women and LGBTQ+ students—felt less safe in poorly lit campus areas. The petition gathered 305 signatures and asked President Nicole Hurd and Facilities to develop a lighting-improvement plan, according to The Lafayette. A committee then began meeting monthly, with student representatives from Pards Against Sexual Assault and Peer Anti-Violence Educators joining Facilities and Public Safety staff. Before the permanent pavers were installed, plastic LED fixtures were placed along some Quad paths and powered by extension cords laid across the grass, The Lafayette reported.
The college’s initial lighting plan, published in January, drew faculty criticism over its use of artificial intelligence and, according to The Lafayette, offered few specific commitments to improve lighting. The summer installation followed that plan and the student-led push for changes.
The College’s Lighting Guidance
Lafayette College’s posted Energy Policy says recommended lighting levels in the Illuminating Engineering Society Lighting Handbook should be used as guidelines to avoid over-lit spaces, according to Lafayette College Facilities Operations.
The Bicentennial Village on the Quad
The Bicentennial Village is a temporary structure built on the Quad for the semester. The college says the structure will be deconstructed at the end of the semester, according to its project description on lafayette.edu.
Research Lab's Campus Safety Work
Cuomo praised the research behind the installation. The Harm Mapping Project, launched by the research lab in 2022, has examined where students experience or feel vulnerable to gender-based violence on campus and has proposed recommendations to college leadership for preventing harm through physical-environment changes, including improved lighting, The Lafayette reported at The Lafayette.
What Comes After the Village Comes Down
Student representatives from Pards Against Sexual Assault participated in the Campus Lighting Committee.
The Campus Lighting Committee is expected to keep meeting and giving feedback to administrators through the rest of the academic year. The college also anticipates further lighting enhancements across campus, according to The Lafayette.
