Case Western Reserve has revamped its approach to managing potential threats to the safety of individuals on campus. Starting this week, members of the university community can learn more about available resources and steps they can take to help ensure their safety—and that of their peers.
The centerpiece of the awareness effort is a new website, www.case.edu/safecampus.
The website and a corresponding handout available at this week’s benefits fair offer details about action steps individuals can take if they feel their safety—or that of someone else—may be in danger.
“We’ve improved our policies and procedures related to risks and threats on campus,” said Jes Sellers, director of University Counseling Services. “This effort helps everyone on campus better understand and use the resources available to them.”
The website and handout recommend options regarding emergencies as well as serious but non-emergency situations. In addition, they include information about the university’s Campus Concerns Committees, which meet to address potentially dangerous threats or behaviors from members of the campus community.
In an emergency situation, individuals should always first call CWRU Police at 368.3333. But for other serious concerns—both urgent and non-urgent—individuals can activate one of the Campus Concerns Committees.
The university’s Threat Assessment and Behavioral Intervention Team (TABIT) meets to evaluate and take action on urgent situations, while the Undergraduate Students of Concern (U-SOC) and Graduate and Professional School Students of Concern (GP-SOC) committees meet to discuss concerns about students. Those individuals concerned about potentially violent behavior of staff or faculty members should contact their supervisors.
Previously, the university operated a Behavioral Risk Assessment Committee to prepare for and assess threats on campus, but after conducting a survey of hundreds of other higher education institutions last spring, Sellers and colleagues determined the primary functions of the group should be to evaluate and take action on potential threats to members of the campus community. Now, the newly revised TABIT does just that.
The new website is just one of many recent initiatives the university has taken to improve safety on campus, such as increasing the number of Safe Ride vehicles on campus and adding an online request component for the rides. In addition, the university has expanded security patrols and more than 80 percent of campus and targeted near-campus areas are under closed-circuit television surveillance.
“These various safety and security enhancements—part of an overall strategic security plan endorsed by senior leadership—demonstrate the university’s on-going commitment to providing a safe environment for the entire campus community,” said Dick Jamieson, vice president for campus services.
For more information, visit www.case.edu/safecampus.