Campus Safety Voices

U.S. motorists can't recall 68% of key information following a crash and 44% failed to identify the car at fault for a traffic incident, according to recent study. Another study found 70% of drivers want a build-in dashboard camera on their next new vehicle. Whatever the reason, footage from dash cams has been used countless times in motor vehicle crash investigations.

Several years ago, Liberty Public School District 53 in Liberty, Mo., used footage from school bus surveillance cameras to apprehend a hit-and-run driver who rear-ended a school bus (15:47).

"I was in the bus on the video [live stream] before anything happened. We actually could see the car, get a description, and the driver got the license," Jeff Baird, the district's former transportation manager who now works for Transportant, told Campus Safety. "Within 17 minutes, the police had the car apprehended based on the direction he turned and that's unheard of. I could also look in at the five cameras and see that no kids were hurt."

In this interview, Baird also shares:

• How the district used footage for a student wellness investigation (18:10)
• Other school bus safety solution capabilities that enhance student safety (13:58)
• What he thinks are some must-haves for school bus safety technology solutions (19:00)
• Why school bus drivers must be included in school safety discussions (1:35)
• An incident at Liberty that highlights the importance of school bus driver training (3:25)
• The importance of sharing student medical concerns with school bus drivers (11:33)
• Challenges he faced as transportation manager (5:04)
• What he wishes he knew in his role as transportation manager that would have helped him do his job even better (21:13)

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Many schools have behavioral threat assessment and management systems in place that monitor student behavior for warning signs of potential violence. The primary goal of these technologies is to evaluate the difference between making a threat and posing a threat to a school community, and then building a plan that supports the safety of the entire community.

A major issue, however, is the lack of information sharing between parties that could potentially help with providing student supports. Many schools have attributed prevented acts of violence or self-harm to a campus culture that urges and prioritizes sharing vital information with multiple stakeholders.

Campus Safety spoke with Rohan Galloway-Dawkins, Chief Product Officer at Versaterm, about:

• The benefits of digitizing and centralizing knowledge to help authorized staff identify warning signs among students (1:22)
• Who he recommends be a part of monitoring student data (4:36)
• Strategies for developing action plans to intervene once a concerning behavior is identified (7:33)
• Why there is no one-size-fits-all plan for supporting students who exhibit warning signs of potential violence (8:50)
• Funding available for schools looking to implement case management technology (10:45)

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• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

While there are ongoing discussions within the K-12 world about banning cell phones in the classroom, there are many scenarios where quick access to a cellular device could improve student and staff safety. 

However, K-12 schools and college campuses historically have poor cellular coverage as many educational buildings were erected well before cell phones were invented.

Poor cellular connectivity also hinders the effective integration of educational technology in classrooms, something that will only become more prevalent as artificial intelligence capabilities continue to grow.

In this interview with Campus Safety, Stephen Kowal, Chief Commercial Officer of Nextivity, a telecommunications company, discusses:

• His views on cell phones bans or restrictions in schools (0:34 and 11:03)
• The potential dangers of banning cell phones in schools (3:47)
• Three different types of connectivity and how they impact schools (5:18)
• Why some schools may not be prioritizing connectivity in new builds (8:16)
• Channels of funding schools can access for improved connectivity (9:42)
• Additional advice for schools that may be having issues with connectivity (13:19)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

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• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

On college campuses, sexual assaults account for 43% of total on-campus crimes. Marginalized groups are at an even higher risk for sexual violence, including people of color and LGBTQ+ students.

To address these concerns, Sewanee: The University of the South, established the C.P.R. in Action Initiative, a comprehensive program that integrates Compliance, Prevention, and Resources to address sexual violence and improve the overall safety and well-being of all students.

C.P.R. in Action received the 2024 Clery Center Campus Safety Impact Award which recognizes a program or initiative that enhances safety on a college campus through innovation, collaboration, and equity.

Dr. Sylvia Gray, Sewanee’s Senior Director of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, and Dr. Rachel Fredericks, Sewanee’s Director of Inclusive Excellence, spoke with Campus Safety about the program, including:

• How data was used to inform the establishment of C.P.R. in Action (2:57)
• Who was involved in creating the C.P.R. in Action Initiative (5:26)
• The impact the initiative has made since it was established in 2021 (8:16)
• Direct feedback received from students and faculty about the initiative (12:01)
• Advice for campuses looking to mitigate sexual violence on campus (15:24)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

More than 80% of college students are struggling emotionally at least somewhat, with more than 25% reporting they are struggling significantly, according to one recent report. Addressing these mental health challenges can be particularly difficult for smaller colleges with fewer financial resources. 

Eight years ago, the Endeavor Foundation, a nonprofit, convened a group of presidents from 12 extremely small liberal arts colleges -- think 750 students or less -- to share their struggles and ideas. This February, the foundation announced $3 million in grant funding for colleges within the collaborative to develop and implement pilot projects that address student wellness. 

In this interview, Ali Tartaglia, associate dean and director of integrative wellness at Bennington College, a participating campus, and Isabel Roche, executive director for special programs in higher education at the Endeavor Foundation, discuss the benefits of the collaboration as well as how Bennington is using the funding to implement the Applied Suicidal Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Program.

During this discussion, Tartaglia and Roche also share:

• What makes ASIST a comprehensive program (17:39)
• More about the grants provided by the Endeavor Foundation (12:45)
• Advice from colleges looking to obtain grant money for improving mental health (19:33)
• Action items for campuses to improve student mental health (23:16)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Campus Safety spoke with University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) Chief and Assistant Vice President Linda Stump-Kurnick about her agency’s experience with accreditation. It is accredited by four separate accreditation bodies: CALEA, IACLEA, the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA), and the Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission (FLA-TAC). Chief Stump-Kurnick has also served as a CALEA assessor for the past 10 years and traveled to other agencies to conduct assessments, completing 48 assessments to date.

Her department’s numerous accreditations is just one reason why she was named the 2024 Campus Safety Higher Education and Healthcare Director of the Year.

In our interview, Stump-Kurnick discusses not only the boost in professionalism and liability avoidance benefits of accreditation, but also how it helps her cross-train UFPD staff who then can mentor others in the department.

She then put on her CALEA assessor hat to offer some sage advice to other college campuses thinking about getting accredited.

• In this interview, Chief Stump-Kurnick describes:
• How she got involved in the accreditation process. 2:02
• How accreditation helps her cross-train her staff: 6:30
• Maintaining all of her department’s accreditations: 10:30
• Suggestions to other college campus police departments considering accreditation: 11:43
• The qualities she looks for in an agency when she is assessing them for accreditation: 13:15

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Cardiac arrest doesn’t just happen to adults who are middle aged or elderly. America was reminded of this fact on January 2, 2023, when 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from a heart attack he experienced during his team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fortunately, Hamlin was resuscitated with CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Hamlin’s health scare -- which millions witnessed because the game was nationally televised – made  a lot more Americans aware of the risk of cardiac arrest in young people and how CPR and AEDs can save lives. It also prompted University of Vermont (UVM) administrators to take notice of the risk of cardiac arrest on campus, whether the victim is a young student or perhaps a staff member or visitor who is older. 

UMV Director of Emergency Management John Marcus and his team of student interns had already been developing a solution: Cat ECare. Hamlin’s medical emergency prompted the full roll-out of the program.

Cat ECare emergency stations, which are distributed around campus, include AEDs. However,  Marcus and his team made the stations even more useful by adding bleeding control kits and Narcan. Additionally, embedded within the program are ongoing training opportunities for UVM students, faculty, and staff. Training covers CPR, how to use AEDs, bleeding control, and how to use Narcan. UVM now has 100 Cat ECare emergency stations located all around campus. 
The Cat ECare program was just one reason why Marcus was named a finalist in this year's Director of the Year program.

In Campus Safety’s interview with Marcus, he describes:

• The origins of Cat ECare and what Cat ECare means: 1:13
• How he involved student interns and other campus partners to help develop the program: 3:04
• How he and his team expanded the program: 3:52
• Getting support and funding for Cat ECare: 7:17
• Results of the program: 16:01
• Maintaining equipment, supplies and support for Cat ECare: 18:52

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
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• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

In 2023, there were 11,311 security services businesses in the United States, according to IBIS. Campus leaders tasked with making security purchase decisions have to choose what solutions they want to prioritize and then decide who they want to buy them from. How can the options be narrowed down?

Rich Payne, safety director at Academy District 20 (ASD20) in Colorado and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, has used lessons learned from major school incidents, including first-hand experience, to both enhance internal best practices and navigate the complex world of choosing security vendors, particularly as it relates to perimeter security (2:45).

In this interview, Payne shares:

• His overall philosophy on school safety (1:13)
• Advice for choosing video surveillance vendors (2:45)
• The importance of training with local law enforcement (7:51)
• Advice for choosing window film vendors (9:54)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Twenty-two years ago, Kelli Lotito was hired as a physical education teacher at Regis Jesuit High School in Colorado. Lotito worked her way up the ranks, becoming the athletic director before transitioning into the role of dean of students for 15 years. 

Lotito just finished her fourth year as the school’s safety and security director, and has used her past job experiences to garner buy-in from various school stakeholders with whom she has formed strong relationships over her illustrious career.

"It's important, as everybody watching this knows, to have buy-in from your constituents. Teachers and administrators are not always the only people that are on your campus," said Lotito.

During this interview, Lotito shares:

• Why and how she has made connections with athletic trainers, nurses, students, and parents (1:31)
• The role school security specialists play in student safety (5:51)
• How the district partners with local law enforcement agencies (12:26)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

A year and a half ago, student community relations officers (SACROs) were added to Brentwood Union Free School District’s school safety team. These non-traditional school safety employees were added when Byron McCray, the district’s director of school safety and chief emergency management officer and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, noticed limited interactions between students and the district’s traditional school safety officers.

“Our school safety team, they’re responsible for seeing students when they arrive, when they leave, and during the course of the day when they’re patrolling the district. However, I found that a lot of our school safety team wasn’t trained to deal with a crisis if a student was going through a crisis,” said McCray. “So I had to create a team that was able to deal with different types of issues that our students are facing.”

Their job roles are changing daily, requiring constant adaptation for each unique situation.

During this interview, McCray shares:

• A general overview of what SACROs do (3:42)
• Different student-oriented programs led by SACROs (6:15)
• How SACROs partner with local faith-based organizations to provide additional support to students (9:09)
• How SACROs work with other area businesses to mitigate the school-to-prison pipeline (9:38)
• How he trains all school safety officers to approach student discipline and several accompanying anecdotes (12:36)

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine