September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month: A month devoted to providing education to students, faculty, staff and visitors about daily, extensive safety efforts across Colorado State University.
The month, passed by Congress in 2008, brings attention to safety resources available at the University, ranging from mental health support to driving tips that reduce bike vs. car accidents. Nearly 20 trainings are planned throughout the month for students, faculty and staff, and 23 university and community offices will be represented on the Lory Student Center Plaza during a safety fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 1.
“Our individual and collective safety does not occur in isolation,” Rebecca Miller, director of Clery Compliance, said about the month and its activities. Miller is chair of the University’s National Campus Safety Awareness Month planning committee.
“It takes our entire community to keep each other safe, and this month provides us with the opportunity to educate everyone about our broad and comprehensive approach to safety at Colorado State University – and empower their important role within that system of safety through training and education,” Miller said.
Weekly themes
Sept 5-9: Bicycle and transportation safety week features opportunities to learn about safe biking, skateboarding, scooter riding and driving from university and community safety experts.
Sept 12-16: Environmental and health safety week provides guidance on stress-reducing mindfulness practice, how to use an automated external defibrillator if someone is experiencing a cardiac emergency, overdose prevention and naloxone training, fire preparedness and safety, hands-only CPR training, and fire extinguisher training.
Sept. 19-23: Collegiate safety week focuses on learning about laws that govern the University’s emergency response and transparency, and Title IX. Trainings include how faculty and staff can support students who have been impacted by sexual misconduct or interpersonal violence, helping the community understand the role of Title IX within the University and proposed changes to the legislation, and understanding the Clery Act, which governs how the University communicates in an emergency and an annual transparency report.
Sept. 26-30: Interpersonal safety week provides students, faculty and staff with information about fraud, active assailant response, supporting survivors of interpersonal violence, and resources for reporting concerns about a student or employee who may be struggling, how the University assesses threats, and a self-defense course.
For a full listing of training descriptions, dates, times and registration, see the Safety website at safety.colostate.edu/national-safety-awareness-month.
Panel discussion highlights comprehensive response to emergencies
Representatives from university offices will discuss how the University holistically and authentically responds to safety concerns and emergency situations. The panel is slated from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Sept. 30, in the Lory Student Center Ballroom.
Annual safety statistics
At the conclusion of the month, the University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which is a resource for all students and employees to find policies and procedures regarding safety and the crime and fire statistics from the past three years, will be published and distributed to all students and employees. This report is a requirement of the Clery Act and is updated and published each fall.
National Campus Safety Awareness Month is sponsored by Safety and Risk Services.
