SUU: A Safe Place To Live and Learn

Published: November 03, 2017 | Author: Kaden Mcbride | Read Time: 2 minutes

Sending a child away to school may be scary for parents. Southern Utah University offers a setting that is exceptionally safe, a place where students can live, work and learn, giving parents peace of mind. SUU recognizes that students who feel safe in their classrooms and homes are more likely to succeed in their studies.

Students at SUU have experienced a crime rate that is far below the national and state averages. In 2015, SUU had a violent crime rate of 1.02 per 1,000 people, less than half of the Utah’s rate and around a quarter of the national rate.

Data shown represents violent crime rates in 2015, the latest year where comparable data is available. National data is gathered from the FBI Crime in the U.S. report. Utah Data is gathered from the Utah Department of Public Safety Crime in Utah report. SUU data is gathered from the United States Department of Education. Violent crimes include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide.

The reasons for this low rate of crime include a rural location, a team of five full-time police officers on campus, routine safety checks, staff safety training, and emergency telephones at strategic locations. SUU police officers also work closely with external agencies like the Cedar City Police Department, Iron County Attorney Office, Women’s Crisis Center, and other local, state, and federal agencies.

Rick Brown, SUU’s Chief of Police, recently collaborated with members of SUU’s president’s cabinet, facilities managers and campus leaders to conduct a safety walk around the university at night. The group was tasked with creating a list of potential issues.

“As the group walked we talked about many risk factors… and how we can work together to protect the interests of our fellow colleagues, students, and the institution as a whole,” said Tiger Funk, SUU’s Executive Director for Facilities Management.

“We were able to see the difference in some lighting projects that were just completed,” said Brown “the new LED lights are making a big difference.”

The newly installed LED lamps provide brighter light while the lamp’s innovative design creates less light pollution. These lamps are helping SUU keep its promise to preserve dark skies.

This is all part of SUU’s commitment to providing students a university that fosters learning and growth in a safe environment.

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