Administrators have more questions than answers about several issues on campus, President Gary Ransdell said.

He’s appointing a small group of administrators to answer those questions and study how to make Western better for students who are here to get an education, according to an e-mail he sent to students Tuesday.

Issues that will be examined include admission standards, involvement with the community college and dorm assignments.

Officials want to make sure they’re handling a wide range of issues in the best way, Ransdell said.

Officials have received complaints from parents and students that students don’t feel comfortable on campus, especially at night or when big groups gather, he said.

They noticed this dynamic over the last few years, but the events of Sept. 6 and Oct. 22 brought it to the forefront of administrators’ minds, he said.

On Sept. 6, there were shots fired near Pearce-Ford Tower.

On Oct. 22, there was a fight that started on South Campus and continued to the south end of main campus.

One issue is students who aren’t here to get an education, he said.

There are some students who use Western’s resources without any intention to graduate, he said.

Western has taken action against 15 people in connection with the Oct. 22 incident, including suspending three students.

The students involved in the fight were part of a small number of students who aren’t making getting an education their priority, Ransdell said.

Officials are taking a tough stance on students who aren’t a positive influence at Western, he said.

That could mean making Western’s admissions standards more selective, Ransdell said.

“We may decide that a smaller, more intimate campus is necessary,” he said.

Another issue the group will look at is how much Western should be in “the community college business,” he said.

Western is the only university in Kentucky with a community college, he said.

Officials will find a balance between investing in the community college and in bachelor’s programs, he said. That’s necessary at a time when Western has limited resources.

Another issue on the list is dorm assignments, he said.

Officials will look at the distribution in dorms of class, degree program and other categories of students, he said.

Officials want to find the best way to balance the types of students in dorms, he said.

Western has to look at how to assign students to the best location to reach their education potential, said Howard Bailey, vice president for students affairs.

Officials also need to look at misconceptions surrounding the fight on Oct. 22, Bailey said.

The average student probably thinks mostly students from PFT were involved in the fight, but there was actually only one, he said.

Western needs to periodically review those kinds of issues to enhance the campus community, he said.

Union Star freshman Sarah Frank said she read Ransdell’s e-mail and appreciates officials trying to make students feel secure.

But Frank said the e-mail was vague about how officials will be able to make students feel more comfortable on campus after the events on Oct. 22 and Sept. 6.

Frank said she feels more safe since she moved out of PFT into Poland Hall, since the incidents occurred near PFT.

She said she thinks a large number of the people who aren’t here for an education live near each other and always hang out together, causing distractions.

Henderson freshman Ryan Hall said he feels safe and comfortable on campus.

He said he thinks people who don’t feel that way are probably uncomfortable because they’re not used to being around a lot of diversity.

The Oct. 22 incident increased people’s fears, but there’s not much officials can do to prevent something like that happening again, he said.

There is a problem with people not taking their education seriously, he said. Those people cause distractions and make it harder for others to learn.