UHCL awarded national safe campus recognition
Timothy Lapointe
The Signal
The world can be a dangerous place. News headlines fill with stories of bomb scares, shootings and muggings on college grounds.
In the past month, two attacks occurred on the UH main campus alone. Yet in these troubling times, the University of Houston Clear Lake has been ranked as one of the top 20 safest colleges in the nation by Stateuniversity.com, a website that analyzes and rates colleges and universities across the country.
The 2012 study lifted UHCL from its former ranking of number 21 to 17 nationally in regard to campus safety. UHCL ranks as the second safest campus statewide, preceeded only to the Central Texas College in Killeen.
“It feels great knowing we’re kept so safe,” said Amir Shahri, graphic arts major. “I’ve had classes that don’t get out until 11 at night, and I’ve never felt worried about leaving so late since there’s usually police cars all over the place. Our police department is doing a great job.”
As per the UHCL Police Department’s 2012 Annual Review: Campus Safety & Crime Report, the total crimes reported in 2010 were 64. In 2011, the reported crimes dropped to 59. The majority of crimes, 20 of the 59, were theft. There were five reports each for disorderly conduct and driving without a license. Burglary of a motor vehicle, striking an unattended vehicle, and drug related crimes received four reports each. Criminal mischief, driving while intoxicated, and public intoxication received three reports each. There were two reports of assault and two reports of weapon possession. The remaining categories received one report each: Evading arrest; Harassment; Stalking; Unauthorized use of vehicle.
What exactly is it that makes our campus so safe? UHCL has numerous methods that are used to keep students and faculty safe. One such method is the PIER system, or Public Information and Emergency Response System. This system is a powerful tool that allows the university to send out mass messages related to any emergencies.
“However, PIER is only as good as the contact information you have entered into your E-Services account,” said David Rachita, interim dean of students. “It is imperative that students check and update their contact information so that PIER can work effectively.”
There are a number of other factors that attribute to the campus’ safety, such as the age group and maturity levels of UHCL students.
“UHCL is a unique community of learning geared to upper-level and graduate students,” said Paul Willingham, chief of police. “That in and of itself [the maturity of UHCL students] is a big factor. Yet another is our lack of some of the common university items, such as sports, Greek life and on-campus housing. These things inevitably attract and create crime calls.”
Willingham warns that with the four-year initiative on the horizon, some of these safety factors will change.
“We will soon see younger students, on-campus housing and perhaps eventually athletics and Greek life, plus a myriad of other activities at night and on weekends that will challenge the campus’ previous paradigms,” Willingham said.
The UHCL campus is positioned in a scenic and rather calm environment thanks to its proximity to a nature reserve, which has led some to believe that the campus’ location is one of the deciding factors regarding the safety of a school.
“Location, location, location,” Rachita said. “Most universities and colleges have police departments that are top-notch. But sometimes the locations of those campuses are just in difficult areas.”
Additional services offered by the UHCL Police Department include:
1) Escorting students/faculty to their cars–the campus police force are willing to offer escorts at any time, if a student or faculty member feels threatened or unsafe.
2) An emergency hotline that connects to a recorded message related to any emergency events that could be occurring.
3) Call boxes stationed about the campus that, with a single press of a button, will contact a police dispatcher who will send assistance.
4) A Lost and Found station, which retains lost items for 90 days for possible retrieval.
5) Vehicle assistance – should anyone on campus also experience vehicle issues, such as locking keys inside of a vehicle, flat tires, and so forth, officers are willing to provide assistance at any given time.
The following explains how UHCL students, faculty and staff can update their contact information through E-Services for the PIER system.
