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An Eye on Campus Safety

  • By Deb Moore
  • 07/01/12
Budget cuts are running deep, affecting both faculty and facilities. For facilities, this may mean putting construction projects on hold or deferring maintenance. For staff, this may mean faculty layoffs or cuts to security staff. Spread too thin, this can create a dangerous situation on campus.

In 1990, the Clery Act was enacted, requiring institutions to provide annual statistics on campus crimes. Data collected for 2010 shows the following events occurred on campuses across the United States:
  • Criminal offenses on campus: Murder (15), Forcible sex offenses (2,936), Robbery (1,819), Aggravated assaults (2,532), Burglary (22,222), Motor vehicle theft (3,624), Arson (742)
  • Arrests on campus: Weapons (1,220), Drug abuse (19,245), Liquor law violation (32,800)
  • Disciplinary actions: Weapons (1,449), Drug abuse (42,067), Liquor law violation (186,478)
  • Fires: Fires (2,341), Injuries (46)

Statistics certainly tell a story, but data is only as good and those who enter it or those who interpret it. In his book School Violence, Stuart Henry, B.A., Ph.D., professor of Criminal Justice and director of the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University, states that we often define the problem of school violence too narrowly. The focus is usually on interpersonal violence between students or by students toward their teachers. When in reality, any instance of crime or violence at a school not only affects the individuals involved but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community.

In our own June 2012 survey on college housing, student safety and security concerns were raised by a number of the responding colleges and universities. Their concerns included:
  • The increasing number of students arriving on campus with mental health issues and the institution having the resources to support them,
  • the fact that many students do not feel they should be held accountable for breaking rules and that some students seem to lack a sense of boundaries, and
  • a lack of civility.

In this issue you will find our special section of campus safety. Hopefully you will find some tips to make your campus a safer, more secure environment.

Featured

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.