As students return to campus for the fall semester, they will notice many changes to the Safety and Security Office within University Housing (formerly Residence Services).
And it’s not just the new uniforms.
Most important change is that students will now be able to call (330) 672-7004, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to receive assistance, including requesting an escort to/from any location on campus. Initially rolled out during the fall 2020 semester to a limited number of students living on campus, it will now reach more students with the residence halls at full capacity.
Another major change centers around the Security Aide position, now known as a Safety Assistant.
Assistant Director for University Housing and Security John Hummell believes the title change best captures the team's work daily and nightly. That includes supporting students' mental wellness, helping on-campus residents manage conflicts, assisting students with escorts around campus, inclusively building community, planning crime prevention programs, and addressing fire safety and safety-related facilities concerns in residence halls.
“Our excellent student staff has already been doing much of this work, but the previous student staff title we used, Security Aide, had a reputation as a job that was only about enforcing residence hall policies,” he added. “While Safety Assistants will continue to help with enforcing residence hall policies, we want to tell our students that we’re here for many other safety and community-related items too!”
Hummell said he is excited about the changes. The planning for it has been meticulous, all with the safety of students as the number one priority.
“The [changes] will be noticeable; we have spent a lot of time thinking about how our staff shows up in the residence halls,” he said. “We are also continuing to update our office space in the Tri-Towers Rotunda to create a more welcoming environment for students to stop by to ask questions or get support around the clock.”
According to Hummell, the staff receives over 100 hours of training annually across a wide variety of topics. They seek a diverse group of community and safety-oriented student leaders and up-and-coming student leaders to join their team.
“Safety Assistants will be present in the residence halls daily and nightly and will be around to offer help and support as we seek to achieve our department’s mission of creating safe and inclusive communities that foster student success,” said Hummell.
Students interested in becoming a Student Assistant are encouraged to apply online.
For more information on University Housing Safety and Security, please visit their website.