The Lexan glass barriers installed in the upper balconies of Bobst Library will be a permanent fix, NYU spokesman John Beckman said.
The panels were installed in 2003 after two students jumped from the balconies in the span of two months.
In a Sept. 2004 interview, Carol Mandel, dean of NYU Libraries, said the paneling was only meant as a temporary fixture in Bobst.
The panels are made of Lexan glass, a durable material often used for bullet resistant windows and high performance windshields.
Beckman said the panels are an effective means to restrict student suicide, despite the death that occurred last semester.
"Research has shown that means restriction are effective in reducing suicides, however, with enough determination it is possible to overcome means restriction," Beckman said. "We fully believe it was a worthwhile and effective step for the university to take."
Esmeralda Williamson-Noble, the mother of the student who died earlier in November, disagreed.
"If they were [effective], my son, Andrew Williamson-Noble, would still be alive today," she said. "Certainly they are not effective as a deterrent on their own."
Williamson-Noble said adding extra security would be more effective and suggests that the upper floors be regularly patrolled at night.
After her son's death, the university closed the library's stacks at midnight and turned off elevators after 1 a.m.
Dr. Henry Chung, associate vice president of student health, said the panels are not fail-safe, although they can delay suicide and provide opportunities for the student to get help.
"Vulnerable individuals who have decided not to seek help, even when we know that counseling and treatment are effective and helpful, may be very determined to overcome a barrier once they have decided on a plan to harm oneself," Chung said.
Steinhardt freshman Alexandra Baye thinks the panels are ineffective, but she said there is not much the university can do.
"Their intention was obviously surpassed," she said. "But I think if someone wants to get around it, they're going to do it no matter what."
Student senator and junior Michael Elias said while the University Senate has not discussed replacing the panels, he thinks they are necessary.
"The panels in Bobst are a glaring reminder that there are students very much in need of help, and as gloomy a presence they may be, they are an entirely necessary precaution at this time," Elias said.
Elias said the Student Senators Council is trying to improve mental health services and outreach, including initiatives to establish a meditation room in the new religious center and instruments to gauge student stress.
Although NYU offers counseling services through the Wellness Exchange, Chung said it does not guarantee the prevention of suicides.
"Untreated depression and mental disorders, like many other health conditions, require both recognition by self or others and a willingness to receive help," Chung said.
Chung said the university reviews its mental health strategies each year and will do so this summer.
"NYU will never stop trying to do more and consider other strategies along with our other partners in higher education," he said.
