Keeping higher education environments open and secure is a balancing act that requires security leaders to regularly evaluate risk and the organization’s goals.
A layered approach to campus security can help campus leaders tasked with the safety and security of students and campus provide an open campus perimeter that is still well protected. To achieve this, security leaders must focus on security technologies and solutions, training and a holistic approach.
Lynn University appointed John McAvoy as its chief of campus safety and security. He oversees a team of officers responsible for providing 24/7 campus safety and ensuring the wellbeing of students, employees and guests.
Congress sent some rather clear messages with passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and the importance of education is undoubtedly top of mind. Based on the sheer volume of school safety allocations, protecting our nation’s students is a high priority with the Biden administration and a majority in Congress.
New Navigate360 and Zogby Strategies Safety and Wellbeing Poll shows growing teen anxiety brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on America’s economy, culture, and daily life
January 14, 2021
Only 55% of teens believe that school leaders thought safety was a priority and only 42% thought schools are spending enough time and money to keep students safe, according to a survey conducted by Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies.
Brigham Young University (BYU) announced the formation of the new BYU Security Department, which will function separately from and alongside the BYU Police Department. The BYU Security Department will oversee on-campus security for buildings, such as the Museum of Art and the Harold B. Lee Library, as well as campus properties, such as the Motion Picture Studio and West Campus (former Provo High School). The department will also have responsibility for campus parking.
Two new public safety committees were created this month by University of Utah Chief Safety Officer Marlon Lynch and appointed by U President Ruth Watkins. The Public Safety Advisory Committee and the Independent Review Committee are comprised of students, faculty, and staff from across the institution and are designed to ensure a broad representation of constituents are included in public safety decision-making.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced a multi-pronged approach to addressing, monitoring, and reporting air quality and ventilation in every building by the first day of school.
A new joint report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. In addition, the report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions.
As coronavirus cases surge throughout the country, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, says the union would support "safety strikes" by teachers if safety measures are not met when schools are set to reopen in the fall.