American University’s Student Government Undergraduate Senate called for improvements to the safety and accessibility of the Spring Valley Building in a unanimously passed resolution at an undergraduate senate meeting on Nov. 16.
“The Spring Valley Building Enhancement Act” demands action from the University to “enhance security, accessibility, and equity for School of Education students.” According to the resolution, such enhancements include changes to shuttle services, food options and safety measures provided to the students, faculty and staff who frequent the Spring Valley Building.
Paige Abbott, a sponsor of the resolution and senior in the School of Education and the School of Public Affairs, said that though SOE is expected to be restructured and may no longer be housed in the Spring Valley Building, the facility still serves an important role to the University community.
“It’s not just [SOE] down there. We operate on the fourth floor, but there’s six floors in the building,” Abbott said in the meeting. “[AU Abroad] is out there, there’s a few other offices, and there’s a ton of overflow classes in [the Spring Valley Building]. So students will continue to use that facility.”
The resolution echoes the demands of the Disabled Student Bill of Rights, passed by SG in October, to reinstate the Green Route according to the times listed on the “AU Shuttle Services” website. Scheduled to run approximately every 90 minutes, the Green Route begins behind Letts and Anderson Halls and ends at the Spring Valley Building, making additional stops at the Katzen Arts Center and Kerwin Hall by request.
Because the shuttle schedule aligns with class times, this service is designed to provide reliable, efficient transportation for those who attend back-to-back classes in separate locations.
Abbott said she worked closely with Alef Worku, the manager of transportation operations and maintenance, throughout the development of the resolution.
“Mr. Worku is lovely,” Abbott told The Eagle. “I think it’s a great place to start. And hopefully, as we move forward, we can say, ‘Hey, we’ve had progress with this guy. Hopefully [other administrators] are willing to sit with us like he was.’”
The resolution also calls for expanded meal options for students, faculty and staff at the Spring Valley Building. Current food options are limited to vending machines and several nearby businesses that accept EagleBucks, according to the resolution.
“Dining as a whole is something we were planning on addressing this year as well,” said Asher Heisten, a sophomore in SPA and another sponsor of the resolution. “So what we really hope to see is admin come to the table with us on a lot of issues and really discuss them thoroughly.”
Though the building formerly housed the Spring Valley Cafe, the cafe closed in 2023 due to “low customer counts,” per the resolution, and the installation of a Wellfound Foods vending machine that provided alternative healthy options. The vending machine has also since been removed, and AU Catering now uses the cafe’s infrastructure, according to the resolution.
The resolution also requests that the AU Police Department and administrators work together to install additional blue light phone towers along Massachusetts Avenue NW between the main campus and the Spring Valley Building. According to the AUPD website, blue light towers near the Spring Valley Building are currently located at “the elevator entrances on each level of [the] garage, throughout the garage levels” and at the old Green Route shuttle stop on 48th Street.
Heisten told The Eagle he discussed safety concerns with members of the administration, including AUPD Assistant Director Rima Sifri.
“We had a very long and good conversation, not just about getting more lights along [Massachusetts Avenue], but also how we really increase student safety on this campus right now,” Heisten said.
Ultimately, Abbott said she hopes that as the Spring Valley Building becomes more accessible, students will utilize the space more frequently.
“I’m just hoping that it becomes a place that people go more often,” Abbott said. “If we can get more of the student body out there and appreciating the cute little area for what it is, then I’ll be happy with what we’ve done.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Ariana Kavoossi.
