Safety on Campus
Expectations and Steps to Stay Safe on Campus.
By Dr. Danielle Kish
On college campuses around the country final preparations are being made to welcome students back and welcome incoming freshman. Campus security is no different. Yes, college campuses have security to keep students safe, however, knowing what to do and how to stay safe is also a student’s responsibility to build as safe an environment as possible. Do you know the number for campus security? Is there a program to help students get safely to their car or dorm at night? How will you be alerted if there is a campus-wide security issue? This is a glimpse as to what information we are reviewing today, all meant to keep you safe on a campus and hopefully bring a little peace of mind to parents.
The Living on Campus Blog series has covered the Dorm Room, College Roommates, and Clubs on Campus. It is easy to get wrapped up in the experience and new freedoms of the college journey, it is a very exciting time as it should be! Being on campus and living the ‘college life’ is a transition to your independence. Up until now your parents have been reminding you to lock doors, setting alarms, teaching you safety precautions when driving, and being there to help keep you safe. You will be taking over this responsibility when you are on campus. The purpose of this blog is to help you find the resources and identify steps to take in understanding safety expectations on campus including how you get information and where/who to talk to if you have concerns. These expectations are there to build a safe environment for faculty, staff, and students.
Safety on Campus is for ALL students, not just freshman and not just those living on campus. I know from experience that being on campus at the library at 10 or 11 at night is realistic and no I was not living on campus. That means that I had to walk to my car and for some (like me) that can mean a very long walk. So make sure to share this with your friends, family, and all those you know in college.
Let’s start with some technical and background information pertaining to college campus security. In 2016 the U. S. Department of Education (USDE) renamed the security expectations to Campus Security Guide to The Clery Act Appendix for FSA (Federal Student Aid) Handbook (formerly: 1965 Higher Education Act; 2016 Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting). The Clery Act is the guide used by higher education institutions (HEI) to ensure they are meeting the campus safety and security standards. If an HEI intends to receive Federal Financial Aid, or Title IV funding (federal student loans, grants awarded after completing FAFSA) the HEI must comply with the standards reflected in the Clery Act Handbook. The standards include campus alerts and warnings, procedural expectations and disciplinary actions, daily crime logs, security reports, educational programs and campaigns, and safety information to name a few (to review the full Clery Act see references).
On-campus safety concerns increase as high-profile crimes on any school campus (grammar through college) occurs and is on the news. These moments are important reminders of why you need to know what to do on campus to stay safe. The Clery Act requires college campuses to keep logs and publish information pertaining to any crimes reported on campus. Based on this information the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) crunches the numbers regarding crimes on campus. On the BJS site you can find the most recent Report of Indicators of School Crimes and Safety: 2021. This report discusses the environments from grammar school to college, of course we are focusing just on college (the report is there if you would like to review it in its entirety). The report stated that between 2009 and 2019 the rate of crimes on college campuses decreased. In 2020 Covid-19 brought many students homes, making online or hybrid learning the temporary norm, cutting down campus crimes even more. Today, campus life is back in full gear.
Now that the technical and background information has been reviewed let’s talk about what you can do to stay safe on campus. As with many things, this list is not all inclusive, but it should provide you with a good start.
Start by locating your school’s campus safety website. I looked at approximately 15 college websites around the country and in the search bar on the colleges website I typed in “campus safety” and I was easily able to find the website. Save this site on your computer and/or phone so that you can easily come back and access the information if you need to.
Now that you have saved this site, review it. Do not just close it out and check out the local hot spots 😉, you will have plenty of time for that. Review the safety website and find out what type of services and resources are available. Does your campus support the Live Safe App? I think it is safe to say you will find campus police, campus hotline, safe rides (escorts to dorms and cars at night) and discover what type of support you can find on campus if you need help. The support could be related to problems with drinking, drugs, smoking, health (physical and mental), and even caffeine. If you need help reach out.
Sign up for Emergency Campus Alerts. The method of communication may be different on each campus, so find out what platform your campus uses, I would expect it to be a text. If there is a situation on campus that is dangerous you want to know about it. By knowing you can take the appropriate measures to protect yourself and not walk into any danger. Once you are safe and away from danger, warn those around you who might not have gotten the alert. In the schools I looked at, a few of them automatically enroll students to receive alerts of emergency situations on campus, many did not. SIGN UP FOR THESE ALERTS. To the parents reading this, many schools advised that parents are welcome to sign up too.
How does your campus respond to hazing, bullying, or threatening behaviors? Who should you call if you see anything that is not the norm? Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. If this is a threatening vs. nonthreatening situation who do you call?
REPORT IT! For anything to change, leadership on campus needs to know what the problems are. If the campus police and the administration do not know that something is a problem they have no chance of trying to fix it.
If you are not sure what to do and you do not feel comfortable reporting something to the school, who can you reach out to so you can get help? Resident advisor (RA), parents, friends, roommate? Do not carry any burden alone, there is support out there if you know where to look.
There is your start (not everything) to being safe on campus! This is not a huge list like your packing list was, but it is an important list. I recommend that you take 30 minutes (not including the 5-10 minutes you took reading this) and review the campus safety page for your college. Gain a basic understanding of safety protocols on campus and resources that will be at your disposal. Save the website, put some of the numbers in your phone (like campus police) and SIGN UP FOR THE EMERGENCY CAMPUS ALERTS. If you have questions reach out to your campus security team and ask. If you want to continue learning more check out the resources below which were used to provide the information in this blog post. I did not put this on the list, but do not to forget to lock your doors and windows (Mom & Dad will not be there to remind you😉).
Living on your own (on campus) is a huge responsibility, I wish I could say that every day will be perfect, but we do not live in a perfect world. Some days will be better than others, something you have very likely already experienced. Remember that you are not alone and there are people there to help. Being prepared never hurt anyone… so my hope is that you take the 30 minutes to get up to speed on the protocols on campus and you NEVER have to use them. That would be amazing! I want you to explore and experience everything on campus you want, learn, grow, expand your horizons! This Blog is a reminder you can do that and be safe at the same time.
Yes, this is the Living on Campus Blog, but that does not mean that everyone reading this cannot take something from it to increase your own safety. Think about your safety at work, while driving, on vacation, and even your home. What are the safety rules and regulations? Who can you reach out to if you need to contact someone? Take a little time and brush up on your own personal protocols to ensure that you and your loved ones are happy, healthy, and safe😊
PS – Students, you know exactly what I am going to say here don’t you? Don’t forget to call your Mom & Dad and let them know you are having a blast on campus and are safe. They have been keeping you safe for your entire life, they are not going to stop now 😉!
Until next time… Stay Safe Out There!
References
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Search | Bureau of Justice Statistics (ojp.gov)
Unites States Department of Justice – Office of Justic Programs. Campus Safety | Overview | Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). COE - Criminal Incidents at Postsecondary Institutions (ed.gov) (COE = Condition of Education)
Safe Havens International. Articles & Research Papers - Safe Havens International
The Clery Act Appendix for FSA Handbook. cleryappendixfinal.pdf (ed.gov)
United States Department of Education (USDE). Home | U.S. Department of Education
Dr. Danielle Kish struggled with her college journey, costing her time and money. Danielle’s hard work and research paid off, and she completed her doctorate in education. She is dedicated to helping students and families overcome obstacles, identifying the right questions to ask, and assisting in where to find the answers. Dr. Dani continues to focus on improving student success in the classroom through research, conference engagements, and publications. To read ‘The Full Story,’ visit the ABOUT page at College Questions, www.qar101.com.
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