Campus Safety 101

What are some practical ways to stay safe on campus? Tragically, the typical perception that college students are living in safe educational havens has been destroyed by a growing number of student homicides, thousands of rapes, assaults, and robberies each year. The most distressing statistic: 80 percent of campus crime is student-on-student. Here are some campus safety tips.

As a freshmen, one should “respectfully decline” to have photo and personal information published for distribution to the campus community. Fraternities and upperclassmen have abused this type of publication to “target” naive, vulnerable freshmen.

Study the campus and neighborhood routes between your residence and class/activities schedule. Know where emergency phones are located. Use them if need be, do not allow embarrassment to get you in trouble.

Share your class/activities schedule with parents and a network of close friends, creating a type of “buddy” system. Give network telephone numbers to your parents, advisers, and friends. Take the safest route, not the fastest route. If you are drunk or otherwise impaired, this may prove difficult, so try to stay in control. If you are going barhopping, take a friend. Stumbling home drunk in the dark alone at 4 a.m. is just not a wise idea.

Doors and windows to your residence hall should be equipped with quality locking mechanisms. Room doors should be equipped with peepholes and deadbolts. Always lock them when you are absent. Do not loan out your key. Re-key locks when a key is lost or stolen.

Card access systems are far superior to standard metal key and lock systems. Card access enables immediate lock changes when keys are lost, stolen, or when housing assignments change. Most hotels and hospitals have changed to card access systems for safety reasons. Higher education institutions need to adopt similar safety features.

Always lock your doors and first and second floor windows at night. Never compromise your safety for a roommate who asks you to leave the door unlocked. 

Dormitories should have a central entrance/exit lobby where nighttime access is monitored, as well as an outside telephone, which visitors must use to gain access.