Last week, Philadelphia's City Council passed legislation creating the first "educational housing district" bill in the nation.
The legislation states that colleges and universities would be held liable for illegal actions committed by students living in any off-campus residences. And though the bill has been drastically scaled back and still requires the approval of Mayor John Street, it sets a perilous precedent.
The original proposal, introduced by Councilman Michael Nutter, would have applied to all colleges and universities in the city. However, thanks in part to pressure from Penn, the final version covers only Nutter's district, which is home to St. Joseph's University and Philadelphia University. Nutter, whose district encompasses parts of West and Northwest Philadelphia, defended his bill, arguing to The Philadelphia Daily News that it is "more than fair" to the involved parties.
Though obviously well-intentioned, Nutter's bill is seriously flawed. It fails to recognize that students are individuals and independent residents of the city who must be held accountable for their own actions regardless of their status as a student. It unfairly penalizes universities for treating their students as adults, one of the most noble and important aspects of university life.
There is no doubt that the council's intention was to improve town-gown relations, trying to ease the kind of uncomfortable coexistence often seen in Penn's dealings with the University City community. What's more, there is no doubt that this is an important aim.
But attempting to force colleges and universities to act as parents to, in Penn's case, some 10,000 young adults, is absurd and unfair. The city would, in effect, be asking its institutions of higher learning to hold the hands of their students at the same time it is trying to teach them to be good citizens and responsible adults. It also unjustly penalizes colleges for behavior they cannot realistically be expected to control or stop.
If the city expects college students to act like adults, it is imperative that the city treat them as such. If a student runs afoul of the law, it ought to be a matter between that student and the city.
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who represents West Philadelphia and University City and who was the sole council member to oppose the legislation, deserves commendation for her stance against the "educational housing district" bill, legislation which she believes goes too far. She also thinks the bill is redundant, as students already "have to abide by the rules of the city, state and county."
We urge the mayor to veto this unreasonable and ill-conceived bill.
