Step One in Campus Safety: Look Around You

Madison, Wis.—October 15, 2008 — Is it possible to remain committed to open access and to also provide a safe environment? At an online seminar held today, Dr. Denise Swett said that while you can’t control what happens on your campus, you can focus on prevention.

Dr. Swett acknowledges the higher risk at community colleges that focus on providing education to foster youth, former gang members and veterans. The students aren’t necessarily the problem. Often problems come in the form of a rival gang or former boyfriends or girlfriends. So how do you plan for safety when the threat isn’t even from your own students?

She believes it’s necessary to instruct faculty at orientation about what violent behavior looks like. What’s normal? What’s the procedure to report violent or erratic behavior? How do you comply with FERPA and still report concerns?

Tour your facilities to solve problems before incidents occur. Think ahead about your offices and parking lots. Do you have telephones in the classroom? Are your parking lots well lit? Is there visibility in hallways or should you install convex mirrors?

It’s easy to pass off the responsibility to the campus safety department, Swett says, but campus safety is everyone’s responsibility. Most community colleges already have a crisis and emergency response plan. Be sure to include an executive summary for those who don’t read the entire document.

If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenter's handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.