campus safety and the community aide
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on the CA Program implemented at MSU in 2008TRANSCRIPT
Campus Safety and the Community Aide
Presented by Tyna Adams and Adam Robertson
“An initiative at the request of the Vice
President for Student Affairs Office -
Ensuring proactive measures are being
taken to increase safety for all residents”
Increasing Safety and Security Practices in MSU Residence Halls
Safety Trends
With incidents at Virginia Tech and
more recently Central Arkansas, more
programs such as the Community Aide will
begin to appear across the nation. They
may not look the same, but the purpose of
these programs will have a similar focus.
“Who is in our house?”
We have a policy we currently do not enforce…how do we answer to a parent if something were to happen?
We have a responsibility to our residents to enforce policies to the best of our abilities…
and be proactive rather than reactive about it. Why don’t we have guests check in/out in
order to know who is and is not in our building after 2 AM – then – why don’t RA’s follow up with those who do not leave before 2 AM
Questions we had to answer…
• What are the Residence Hall Quiet Hours?
• How do we know if our guests are out at 2 AM?
• What safety precautions exist for staff on opposite gender hallways?
• How do residents identify staff and guests from residents?
• Do staff wear badges?
• What signs / postings exist that remind students of our rules?
Resolutions
Visitation Check in/out Policy implemented- 10am-2am All Guests entering the halls must check in and receive a numbered guest pass
Signs will be posted in the halls that clearly state visitation and quiet hours
Hall staff will check to see who is still checked in after 2 am and address
Hall staff will all wear name badges and wear Staff t-shirts when on duty
Guest Check In Form
Community Aide Program Purpose
Educate residents about the visitation policy Assist in the enforcement of the visitation
policy Assist in the enforcement of quiet hours Extra eyes and ears in the halls Assist with fire alarms Assist with any other incidents or tasks as
needed
Structure
CAs work from 9 PM to 3 AM daily, schedule and number of CAs may change during football or basketball games and other campus events.
4 CAs and 1 CA Supervisor (CAS). CAS will pair CAs, if possible M/F so that it will be
easier to conduct rounds in the residence halls. Each pair of CAs will have one radio and the CAS
will also have a radio to communicate with CAs and Housing Professional Staff.
RAs have the option to work 1 CA shift in place of the 6 required weekly desk hours.
Training
Spring 2008-RAs as CAs and Supervisors-(CA shifts took the place of desk hours)
First shifts were 5-10 PM and 10 PM -2 AM Training was completed on shift with
professional staff Fall 2008 CA training was added to the RA
training schedule CA shifts were adjusted to 9 PM -3 AM RAs can still opt to do CA shifts in place of
desk hours
Supervisors
Spring 2008- Chosen from RD Staff and outstanding RA staff
Fall 2008- Outstanding performers during training were selected and interviewed for the position
Spring 2009- Looking at bringing the RA and RD staff back in to the program as supervisors
Fall 2009- an online Training Module will be added to the 2 day training
Supervision of Program
Area Coordinator for Residence Life Operations is the direct supervisor of program
Two Graduate Residence Directors responsible for the day to day staffing and problem solving
CA Supervisors responsible for shift operations
Duties
CAs conduct rounds in the halls and address minor violations such as: noise and guests not being checked in.
CAs refer all other violations to the RA on Duty in that hall.
CAs report all violations to the CAS and if unsure about anything communicate with CAS
CAs check in with CAS when entering and leaving a building.
Referral Forms
Shift Structure
Four CAs and one supervisor are scheduled for each shift
CAs and CAS wear identifying t-shirts and badges during shift
Supervisor determine m/f pairs and location of rounds at beginning of shift
Supervisor maintains radio contact with CAs throughout shift
CAs log all activity in the CA Binder of each building
Impact of CA Program
Residents feel safer because of the visibility of the CAs
More staff are visible and may deter behavior More situations are addressed as more staff
are conducting rounds in the buildings 89% of residents feel safe in our residence
halls at MSU 70% of all judicials are regarding visitation
violations.
Impact on Safety
Fewer non-student individuals in and around the residence halls
Fewer instances of unescorted guests in the residence halls
Incidents are reported and responded to in a more timely manner
Fewer propped doors Better communication between hall staffs
A work in progress…
Still learning what works and does not work Challenges in recruitment of CAs Adjusting staff coverage for football season Still adjusting and refining procedures and
responsibilities Still educating residents about policies
Questions or Comments?