The entire campus benefits when students can share their thoughts on safety

With election season coming to a close you may be reflecting on the significance of having a voice in community issues, at both the local and national level. As you prepare to cast your ballot in the upcoming election, you also may think about the importance of the democratic process. The ability to share your opinion with community leaders and the chance to influence public policy truly matters. And when it comes to campus safety, it matters to students as well.

However, many don’t feel they can do much beyond choosing a campus that reports low crime rates and following campus safety procedures. So how can you, a campus safety administrator, change that? Give them a voice. Find out their specific concerns about campus safety and learn how they would like to see those issues addressed.

As you know, the annual security report required by the Clery Act not only gives an account of campus crime statistics but also discloses your institution’s policies in terms of communicating with and educating its community about campus safety. Essentially, the reports illustrate how your university upholds the spirit of the Clery Act. The best way to improve campus safety education and implementation is through communication with your students. What practices do the students support? What would they like to change?

How do you get the vote on your community’s safety needs?

So, what are best practices for getting students to “cast their ballots” on the subject of campus safety?

• Student government meetings. Request the opportunity to speak at student government meetings then ask for feedback on current and proposed campus safety practices.
• Social media. Use social media posts with surveys or make a request for comments about campus safety proposals.
• Focus groups. Lead a focus group of students and/or faculty to discuss campus safety practices.
• Distribute standard snail mail surveys to get feedback on current safety measures and ideas for improvement.
• Public forums. Hold forums where students can voice their opinions about current and proposed safety practices.
• Office hours. Invite students to drop by your office to share ideas, thoughts and concerns about campus safety.
• Interdisciplinary campus safety teams. Form an interdisciplinary team from across campus departments that include students and meets regularly.
• Hire student safety advocates. Identify student leaders who can serve as ‘safety ambassadors’ to inform and discuss campus safety awareness and crime prevention measures with their fellow students. This system creates a feedback loop between students and campus security authorities.

Like all of us, students like to be heard. Give them a voice. Let them cast their ballots. Show them you care about their opinions by giving them ample opportunity to speak up about their campus safety needs. Open communication between students and administrators will foster a sense of transparency and accountability within the campus community.