Risk management director presents new policy to ban e-mobility devices

The Institute’s newly formed E-Mobility Student Safety Committee presented a new campus-wide policy to the Student Senate that effectively bans all e-mobility devices from being used on campus. The committee is looking for the ban to go into effect by May 12, 2025.

The policy, the first from the committee, explicitly bans all e-mobility devices excluding e-bikes from being used, charged, or stored on RPI’s grounds. This includes e-scooters, hoverboards, electric skateboards, and any other personal transportation device that could potentially use lithium ion batteries. While e-bikes would still be allowed under the new policy, their use would be limited to roadways. They would also not be allowed to be charged on campus, meaning that only students with access to off-campus housing would be able to operate them.

Director of Risk Management Monika Robertson and Associate Vice President of Finance Kelli Perry informed the Senate that the policy aims to reduce the risk posed by the use of lithium ion batteries, brought to light by a battery explosion at Dartmouth College last year.

Several members of the Senate supported the policy but expressed concern over whether or not new outdoor bike storage and charging stations would be installed. Class of 2025 Senator William Dugan argued that current outdoor storage options would overly expose bikes to the elements, causing their batteries to become more unstable. They also argued that the prohibition of storing e-bikes indoors would at best result in the overcrowding of current outdoor bike storage and, at worst, result in students storing and charging e-bikes inside their dorm rooms, increasing the risk of fire. Perry agreed to take these concerns under advisement as the committee continues to work with Campus Planning and Safety on implementing the policy.

After the discussion ended, the meeting turned to focus on issues brought up by the Graduate Council regarding the ethics of certain appointments made by the Executive Board. Discussion of these issues was closed to the public due to coverage of sensitive information.

The council raised concerns that the appointments of certain non-voting members of the E-Board may have been unethical, due to the appointees holding officer positions in other clubs that have the potential to impact their decision making. To ensure that these appointments do not introduce a conflict of interest into the operation of the E-Board, Graduate Senator Ria Massoni ’25G moved to make a formal inquiry into the ethics of appointments under these conditions, and to create the Committee of Ethical and Fair Appointments to carry out the investigation. The motion to declare the inquiry and create the committee passed 16-0-1. Griffin Oliver ’27 was appointed as chair of the committee with a 16-0-1 vote.

This meeting was held on January 7, 2025. The Senate meets every Tuesday at 7 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery.