Across the United States, campus-related violence has become increasingly prevalent over the past few decades. Marshall University is working to promote student welfare by providing safety resources throughout Campus Safety Month.
For many students, feeling safe on campus is a top priority when choosing a college. To strengthen that sense of security, the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability at Marshall University is highlighting campus safety resources during October.
Tayma Al-Astal, graduate assistant with the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability, said the main goal of the month’s events is to inform students about what resources are available and when to use them.
“Campus Safety Month is held every year … It’s always in October, so we always start off with our kickoff event. This year, our theme was ‘Pop into Safety,’ and we were giving students popcorn,” Al-Astal said.
The Pop into Safety event was held Oct. 1 at the Memorial Student Center Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to the kickoff event, the office also hosted its “R.A.D. Self Defense Class” for female students and faculty.
“It’s basically just for students to see what resources are available on campus and to hear about our events we have later this month,” Al-Astal said.
Al-Astal said the office is focusing on student engagement through its events, emphasizing how important it is for students to know what to do if they ever find themselves in a situation where campus safety resources are needed.
“We have an event every week, and some weeks there are two events. This week’s event was ‘Brewin’ Safety,’ which was co-sponsored by Housing and Residence Life. MUPD also came by to talk to students and hand out donuts and coffee,” Al-Astal said.
The Brewin’ Safety event, held Oct. 8 at Freshman North and South, proved successful after the office ran out of donuts and coffee before 10 a.m., reflecting strong student interest in campus safety education.
“Next week, this is the first time we’re trying this event. It’s called ‘What Would You Do?’ kind of inspired by the YouTube show ‘WWYD?’ by John Quiñones. Basically, I’m going to make little cards with scenarios on them, and we’ll have a bunch of different campus resources set up. Students will go to the resource they think best fits their scenario, and there will be swag for them,” Al-Astal said.
The event will take place in the Memorial Student Center lobby flex space Thursday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to all students.
Campus Safety Month will continue with a Hazing Prevention Panel in the MSC Shawkey Dining Room from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23. The panel is co-sponsored by Fraternity and Sorority Life and will be followed by the Campus Safety Walk on the MSC Plaza starting at 6:30 p.m.
“Campus Safety Month is mainly just for students to know what resources are available on campus and which are the correct ones to go to for certain scenarios: when should you call MUPD, or when should you report an incident to Title IX versus reporting it to the Office of Student Accountability?” Al-Astal said.
“We also have a survey this year for students to take, where they can report any problems they see around campus or suggest ways we could improve different safety strategies,”Al-Astal said.
The office will host its “Ask the Chiefs” Luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the Shawkey Dining Room from noon to 1 p.m., giving students the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns directly to MUPD officers. To close out the month, the university will participate in the campus-wide “Gotcha Day.”
To learn more about events hosted by the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability, visit their page on HerdLink or stop by their offices in MSC 2W38. All students and faculty are encouraged to attend the events held during Campus Safety Month.
Abby Ayes can be contacted at [email protected].
