What Makes Students Feel Safe and What Should Students Know?
By: Jools Pulcher, Art & Life Editor
As the spring semester begins, Meramec’s faculty and staff incorporate strategies to enhance safety for students. These strategies range from working the Welcome Wagon tables to guide students to classes and keeping office doors open during office hours to hosting events such as Campus Life’s Campus Expo to showcase community efforts.
But when it comes to physical safety, the level of safety and security felt seems to vary from one student to the next. Student Caden Self said, “The amount of people around me on campus makes me feel safe on campus. I know if anything happened someone would step in. It’s a nice environment and I like it here.”
However, while students like Self said they feel comfortable and safe on campus, there are some students such as Nicole Schade who feel unsafe on the Meramec campus. Schade said, “Nothing makes me feel safe at Meramec. Certain professors make me feel comfortable, like I won’t be attacked or judged. But I feel like my personal items are never safe and there doesn’t seem to be enough campus security. I’ve had stuff stolen from my car while in class before.”
Schade isn’t the only student who feels security doesn’t have enough of a presence on campus.
Student Erin Puhan said, “I feel like the presence of security or police officers should be more frequent. Meramec has a record of being a safe campus, but it would help if officers were present more frequently because right now they are tucked away in a corner and hard to reach.”
Adis Becirovic, a lieutenant with the St. Louis Community College Police Department, gave tips on how to stay safe while on campus. Lieutenant Becirovic said, “The first tip is to attend our safety courses throughout the year.” St. Louis Community College’s Police force hosts safety courses throughout the semester and updates on these courses are often sent to student emails and posted around campus.
In addition, Lieutenant Becirovic encourages students to be aware of their surroundings and trust their instincts. Becirovic said, “Be aware of your surroundings and always trust your gut. If you feel unsafe, leave that situation. Take extra precautions at night and if you feel unsafe on your own and call our number. We can offer safety escorts between classes, meetings, or even to your car.”
Lt. Becirovic also advises students to be conscious of their social media, as it allows for easy tracking. He also advises students to always check the backseats of their cars before beginning the drive home from campus. To get in touch with the Meramec campus police department, contact 314-513- 4800.
