Notes from the UC Campus Safety Summit

From President Ono:

Earlier this week [late November] I hosted a Campus Safety Summit here at UC.  Local law enforcement officials, including Cincinnati’s Chief of Police and the Captains of Police Districts Four and Five, and representatives from city government and the Uptown Consortium joined UC’s senior leadership, including the Chief of Public Safety and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, for a candid conversation on how we, working together, can improve our ability to prevent crime and promote safety both on campus and in the surrounding communities.  To ensure that student perspectives remain front and center, we were joined by the President of the Undergraduate Student Government, the President and Vice President of the Graduate Student Government and a representative from the Student Safety Board.

Perhaps our biggest lesson learned from the Campus Safety Summit is that communication, coordination and long-term planning are essential.  Thus I have secured commitments from each participant to elevate this group to a standing committee (the President’s Campus Safety Committee) that will meet regularly for the foreseeable future.  All of us agree that the safety of our campus community is a pressing priority that requires our highest level of attention, engagement and collaboration.

Several promising ideas and initiatives emerged from this first meeting.  Here are a few concrete examples.

• Starting on January 1, 2013, UCPD will increase the number of officers on patrol by 30%.

• UCPD and CPD will collaborate with the Uptown Consortium and the University of Cincinnati Institute of Crime Science (ICS) to standardize the collection, analysis and dissemination of crime data.  This will enable us to develop more and better data-driven solutions to safety and security.

• UC’s Advisory Committee on Public Safety (ACOPS) and the Student Safety Board will work with CPD to develop a “Students on Patrol” program modeled on the “Citizens on Patrol” program.  

• CPD is exploring the feasibility of reassigning district boundaries within and around UC to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

• Student orientation will now include a joint presentation by UCPD and CPD on how students can best protect themselves and promote safety. 

• UCPD and CPD will enhance and expand its educational outreach to international students.

• CPD and the City will generate a cost estimate for increasing lighting, signage and other environmental assets in certain neighborhoods. 

• UCPD will study the impact of using of a mobile substation to increase its presence and vis Labels ibility in targeted areas.

• The Student Safety Board will develop a proposal to expand the Bearcat Transportation System to include designated routes to and from popular student destinations.

• UCPD, CPD, ACOPS and the Student Safety Board will work together to design and implement a robust social media strategy for promoting safety.

• The President’s Campus Safety Committee will engage UC’s criminal justice faculty—who have built one of the most widely recognized and respected programs in the world—in the planning process.  

Although we made significant progress, by no means is our work done.  Campus safety remains a top priority for my administration. 

In closing, let me be clear in saying that good ideas and initiatives will get us only so far.  Equally important is for each of us to take reasonable steps to promote safety.  That means being acutely aware of our surroundings at all times; proactive in our reporting of suspicious behavior; and increasingly knowledgeable of the safety-related resources, service and programs at our disposal.  Clearly, UC’s setting within an urban environment will not change; however, we can, wherever possible, positively influence our surrounding communities by being aware and proactive.

Please join me in thanking our public safety department and local law enforcement for their steadfast commitment to keeping our campus community safe and secure.  With all of us working together, I am confident that we can build an even better UC.

Enough is Enough Anti-Violence Campaign - Apr 4-8!

From UC News:

UC Joins National Anti-Violence Campaign

Tragedies at Virginia Tech and other universities have inspired “Enough is Enough,” a national campaign to stop violence. The University of Cincinnati will support the national campaign with a week of activities.

Date: 3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM
By: Greg Hand
Phone: (513) 556-1822

   A week-long effort to halt campus violence will mark the beginning of spring quarter at the University of Cincinnati. From April 4 through April 8, the UC community will join together as part of a nationwide campaign to ensure peace and security throughout America’s schools.

The “Enough is Enough” campaign is coordinated across the country by NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The campaign grew out of a call to action by Zenobia Lawrence Hikes, vice president of student affairs at Virginia Tech, whose analysis of the 2007 tragedy at that university inspired NASPA to chart a “new paradigm for safety and security on the nation’s campuses.” The "Enough is Enough" Campaign unites administrators, educators, and counselors from high schools and colleges, as well as parents and students. “The kind of violence that results in campus tragedies begins – and therefore must be addressed – long before it reaches our schools and campuses,” said Daniel S. Cummins, chair of UC’s participation in “Enough is Enough.”

At the University of Cincinnati, events each day will explore different aspects of violence prevention, safety and security.

On Monday, April 4, in a noon ceremony at Tangeman University Center, campus leaders will charge the university community to reflect on the roots of violence and to take action to prevent it. The cost of campus violence will be presented through a display in the Tangeman University Center lobby. Everyone in the UC community will be asked to sign a pledge to show solidarity to end violence in society and on campus. Each person who signs will receive a wristband to demonstrate their commitment.

Tuesday, April 5, will be a day of reflection as Dean Valerie Hardcastle describes how a violent act affected the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences. Her presentation at noon in the MainStreet Cinema will be followed by a question and answer session with the dean and UC Police Chief Gene Ferrara.

A call to action will highlight Wednesday’s agenda on April 6 with a clinic on civility and mediation presented by the University Ombuds at noon in MainStreet Cinema. UC’s residence halls will explore cyber bullying and the risks of online social networks with a 9:00 p.m. program in Daniels Hall.

Thursday, April 7, will focus on violence prevention, as nationally known self-defense expert Debbie Gardner offers a seminar at noon in the MainStreet Cinema.

The week will end Friday, April 8, with a Picnic for Peace on McMicken Commons from noon to 2:00 p.m., sponsored by Student Government.

Throughout the Enough is Enough Week, members of the university community who may wish assistance or desire counseling support are encouraged to contact

• UC Counseling Center (513-556-0648) 316 Dyer Hall
• Impact Solutions (800-227-6007)
• University Health Services (513-556-2564) 3rd Floor Lindner Center

Referrals to a member of campus ministry may be made through the Dean of Students Office (513-556-5250) 745 Steger Student Life Center.

Partners for the UC observance of “Enough is Enough” include the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, the BearCAT (Community Action Team), Office of Ethnic Programs & Services, African American Cultural & Resource Center, Student Government, Graduate Student Governance Association, LGBTQ Center, University Ombuds, Office of Resident Education and Development, Office of Student Life, UC Police, and UC Women’s Center.

For more information on UC's "Enough is Enough" campaign, see http://www.uc.edu/conduct/enough.html
For more information about the national “Enough is Enough” campaign, see http://www.naspa.org/enough/