Georgia Universities Aim to Improve Campus Safety

May 21, 2015 1754 Views Eastern U.S., emergency communication, energy executives, Energy Industry Outlook Survey, energy market, Garfield High School, Green Seal, high school renovations, John Kunasek, SF Environment

ATLANTA — The Atlanta-based University System of Georgia (USG) Campus Safety and Security Committee — co-chaired by Presidents Steve Dorman of Georgia College & State University and G.P. “Bud” Peterson of the Georgia Institute of Technology — published its May 19 report on the state of campus security across Georgia colleges and universities. The report outlined the USG’s plans to institute a broad safety initiative in the coming year and to provide incoming freshmen across all 30 campuses with mandatory sexual-assault training.

“We are about educating students and increasing the number of Georgians who have completed college,” University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby told AJC.com on May 19. “To continue to do this, we must provide our students, faculty and staff a safe environment, and we will apply best practices at each campus. This is a fundamental change in the way we have been operating across our system of institutions.”

Formed in October 2014, the committee, which also includes four student representatives and a number of other college and university officials, conducted a comprehensive review of policies and procedures at the various USG institutions The committee was charged with developing recommendations related to improvements to public safety, including compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), and campus law-enforcement agency assessment and training needs.

Following the review, the committee advised that Georgia institutions should “receive specific education and training related to their reporting responsibilities, requests for confidentiality, and Title IX requirements,” according to the report. The committee recommended that training be customized, mandatory and system-wide to ensure consistency and that all standards are met. It further recommended that the schools develop a single, centralized website to maintain, collect and publicize related information. This website should include “clear, specific and comprehensive information about how the USG defines, investigates and resolves incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic/dating violence and stalking,” according to the report.

The group’s Clery Act subcommittee further recommended that each institution identify a Clery Act coordinator — as well as a coordinating committee — to provide consistency and guidance. Clear records should also be kept of Clery Act crimes, including geographic information, according to the report.

Recommendations regarding campus law enforcement included better defining the essential functions of campus police departments, and establishing and implementing law enforcement department assessment programs focused on administration, patrol, investigations, communications and campus community policing.

Additional recommendations included the establishment of a public safety committee and training program at each institution, the implementation of a system-wide employee assistance program for public safety personnel to provide support in managing stressful situations and ensuring that security officials are allowed appropriate access to college and university leaders to drive home the importance of campus safety and security.

The full report is available here.