Campus environment comprises a spectrum of services

Student safety, health and well-being are of top importance in sustaining a positive educational environment. BGSU Board of Trustees members heard in December about some of the services the University has to ensure these three indispensable aspects of a successful campus.

Campuses must promote inclusion, encourage involvement, build community and promote safety, said
Edward Whipple, vice president for student affairs. Two areas of the University that work closely together are the campus police, headed by James Wiegand, director of public safety, and the Student Discipline Program, led by Jill Carr, associate dean of students.

Promoting safety
Chief Wiegand said it is the philosophy of the BGSU police that a high level of training is important to good policing. With the support of the upper administration, the campus safety office has instituted a successful, comprehensive training program for its officers, he said.

BGSU also benefits from close relationships with the Bowling Green Police Department and the Wood County Sheriff’s office. In addition, BGSU safety officers meet with city and county leaders twice yearly through the “BG Connection,” Chief Wiegand explained, to collaborate on issues of concern.

The University’s community-oriented policing program promotes “proactive problem solving," heading off potentially serious situations, he added. In 1995, a significant step forward was taken when the Student Code of Conduct was established, holding students responsible for their behavior off campus. This has proved effective in helping reduce some off-campus crime. “The decrease in those statistics is very positive,” he said.

“Theft is the predominant crime on campus,” Wiegand told the board. To help deal with this, campus police meet regularly with city detectives to share information. Vandalism, a typical problem in areas adjacent to college campuses, has been reduced in recent years through a program that uses trained volunteers who walk through wards 1 and 2 three nights a week as “an extra set of eyes and ears,” the chief said.

In addition, the campus safety office has a strong relationship with the Student Discipline Program.
Carr, who directs that program, informed the board of a relatively new group, the Community Coalition for Youth and Family, to which she and Whipple were invited by Bowling Green City Schools Superintendent Hugh Caumartin. The coalition works with the local junior high and high school to decrease drug and alcohol use.

Student discipline
On campus, Carr said, there are two arms to the student discipline area—the residential level and the University-level Student Discipline Program, which handled 30 percent of all discipline cases in 2002-03.

Of the 2,268 total cases reported in 2002-03, residential-level incidents surpassed alcohol-related offenses for the first time. “We have an excellent mechanism for dealing with these minor, first-time offenses,” Carr said. “The hall directors can get to them very quickly. Most involve violations of the published policies on community standards.”

The number of cases that reached the University level was down this fall, with 462 cases handled by the Student Discipline Program through mid-November, compared to 747 at the same point in fall semester 2002. These represent more severe or repeat offender cases, Carr said. “Students know we’re serious and they’re accountable,” she said of the decrease. However, the number of cases of off-campus arrests and citations was up last fall, as reported by Bowling Green city police.

Carr continues to work with city police and the courts to reduce the incidence of these cases and to resolve issues.

Student crisis and emergency services
During 2002-03, Carr’s office received 242 contacts involving student crises or emergencies. Many involved illnesses or deaths in the family. When dealing with these types of needs, the emphasis is on referrals, she said. Her staff will also help communicate with the necessary individuals—from faculty to advisers—should a student need assistance, she said. They are also there to help students when fires occur in off-campus residences, contacting the Red Cross and helping arrange for replacement books and clothing.

When student deaths occur, the office has a specific protocol for aiding the family, sending a University representative to the funeral and providing follow-up attention.

Counseling Center
The University has increased its services to students recently, Counseling Center Director Craig Vickio told the board. According to Vickio, President Ribeau helped support funding for added staffing, enabling the center to enhance its response to growing numbers of student emergencies while also expanding consultation and outreach activities. Vickio reported that staff members are devoting increasing amounts of their time to consulting with faculty members, staff, parents and others about student mental health concerns.

Outreach services have also expanded, he said. The center has become more proactive in addressing problem areas, offering workshops on topics such as stress, depression, anxiety, health and men’s issues.

There is now a part-time on-site psychiatrist who can prescribe medication, as well as a psychologist who serves as a liaison to residence life. In addition to emergency services, consultation, psychiatric services and outreach programming, the center staff provides individual, couples and group counseling. Last year, more than 4,400 counseling sessions were held.

In a new initiative, BGSU has created a professional, pre-doctoral internship program for students in psychology. The pre-doctoral internship represents a one-year capstone experience for graduate students in professional psychology programs. The addition of two or three full-time interns will expand the Counseling Center staff, which in turn will enable the center to provide cost-effective, high-quality services designed to meet the increasing mental-health needs of students, Vickio said.

Wellness Connection Prevention Program
The Wellness Connection is the educational arm for health and wellness issues, Health Promotion Coordinator Barbara Hoffman told the board. It houses the Coalition Against Sexual Offenses (CASO) and several other awareness and prevention programs, including one called “No Means No” for students. These programs often utilize peer educators, she said, since “for students, hearing a message from one’s peers is very powerful.”

The Wellness Connection also has a strong focus on preventing drug and alcohol abuse, Hoffman said. The University is fortunate to have a 30-hour alcohol/chemical dependency counselor, Carrie Belair. Programs through the Wellness Connection and the University Committee on Alcohol and Other Drugs Issues partner with faculty, student groups and the community to raise awareness of alcohol-related issues. One of these, “Party Smart,” points out the consequences of hosting parties at which underage drinking goes on.

Given the effectiveness of peer education, the center has increased its peer programming from 107 programs in the 2002 academic year to 136 in fall semester 2003. Six new peer educators were added in fall 2003 and another 22 have signed up for this spring. “These peer educators have an impact on campus around the clock,” Hoffman said.