More than preparedness: campus safety starts with presence as students return

We all left IACLEA this summer with fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a clear reminder of why we do this work. The conversations were timely, the sessions were valuable, and the message was clear: our role is evolving. Now, with the summer nearly behind us and move-in day rapidly approaching, our focus shifts to putting those ideas into action.

Our departments have been working hard—checking emergency systems, updating policies, training staff. But here’s the question we all need to ask:

Are we truly prepared?

Prepared not just for incidents, but for students.

Prepared not just for procedures, but for people.

As students return, they bring with them excitement, uncertainty, trauma, ambition, and diversity in every sense of the word. To serve them well, we need more than readiness—we need presence, empathy, and partnership. Here are a few thoughts and best practices for ensuring a safe and supportive start to the academic year.

Train for today’s campus—not yesterday’s

The students we serve live in a world shaped by mental health challenges, identity exploration, and social justice movements. They’re arriving on campus with complex experiences—and our teams need the training to respond to them with understanding and professionalism.

Every public safety officer and administrator should receive updated training in:

• Cultural competency and bias awareness
• Title IX, including the most recent 2024 federal regulatory changes
• The Clery Act, and our responsibilities around transparency and communication
• The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), with trauma-informed approaches to interpersonal violence

This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about earning trust.

Best practice: Go beyond annual check-the-box modules. Bring in campus partners—Title IX staff, diversity officers, and mental health professionals—for small group discussions and case-based learning. Create safe spaces for your team to ask questions, reflect, and grow.

Orientation isn’t just for students—It’s for us too

Too often, new officers start their jobs without a true understanding of the culture, history, or geography of the campus they serve. That’s a missed opportunity.

Have all newly hired public safety officers and senior administrators go through freshman orientation—as participants, not just patrol. Let them hear what students hear. Let them walk the campus from a student’s point of view.

Understanding the historic significance of key landmarks, the layout of residence halls, or the traditions that define student life transforms how officers interact with the campus community.

Best practice: Invite officers to join student-led tours. Facilitate small “meet the team” events in residence halls. Make it clear: we’re not just protecting the campus—we’re part of it.

Safety walks: Navigating the neighborhood together

If your campus is located in or adjacent to an urban environment, help students feel safe beyond the perimeter. Many incoming students are unfamiliar with navigating city spaces—and some may not even know what to look out for.

Offer guided neighborhood safety walks during orientation, co-hosted by your campus public safety team and a local law enforcement partner. These walks can:

• Show students the safest walking routes and well-lit areas
• Identify neighborhoods that are best avoided at certain hours
• Point out essential locations: hospitals, pharmacies, transit stops, and trusted local businesses
• Share practical safety tips: walking in groups, using campus escort services, recognizing suspicious behavior

Best practices:

• Involve student leaders to keep the tone peer-focused and positive
• Provide printed or digital maps with recommended routes and safety resources
• Repeat these walks during key times of the year (e.g., midyear transfer arrival, international student orientation)
• Emphasize empowerment—not fear

When done right, these walks build confidence and connection, not anxiety. They also show students that safety is proactive and collaborative.

Relationships keep us safe—Not just policies

Students decide to reach out for help based on one thing: trust. And trust isn’t earned in crisis—it’s earned in everyday moments.

An officer who smiles in the dining hall, who learns a student’s name, who shows up to cultural events—that’s the officer students call when something’s wrong.

Building that relationship-based model of safety takes time, but it’s what creates truly secure campuses.

Best practices:

• Assign officers to consistent areas or residence halls
• Host regular “Coffee with Public Safety” or walk-and-talk events
• Encourage officers to be present—not just visible—at campus gatherings and meetings

Lead with visibility, compassion, and care

This new academic year is not just another cycle. It’s a new opportunity to lead with intention. It’s a chance to ask hard questions:

• Are we walking the talk when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
• Are our emergency plans up to date and well-communicated?
• Are we building relationships before the moment of crisis?

True safety is not just about reducing harm—it’s about creating conditions where people can thrive.

From IACLEA to move-in—let’s put our vision into practice

We left IACLEA with knowledge. Now we must turn that into action.

Our students are arriving with hope, uncertainty, and the need to feel seen, safe, and supported.

Let’s show them what leadership looks like.

Let’s be ready—not just with training and tools—but with humanity and heart.

Lets not just prepare for students’ return.

Let’s be ready to meet them—on their path, in their moment, and at their side.