Campus Safety - Racial Justice Initiative

As outlined in Skidmore College’s Racial Justice Initiative, work focused on how Campus Safety protects, serves and supports each member of the Skidmore community began in fall 2020.

A key goal of this work is to engage recent data to help “understand any concerns with Campus Safety and put in place processes to ensure the best outcomes for Campus Safety staff and for the Skidmore community they serve."

To that end, Skidmore’s Campus Safety Advisory Committee worked with Margolis Healy, a nationally recognized campus safety and security consulting firm, to lead a comprehensive, external assessment of Campus Safety. 

In February, Margolis Healy hosted several campus safety forums to provide faculty, staff and students the opportunity to offer opinions and concerns about this vital area.

A report summarizing findings from these forums and providing recommendations will be shared with the Skidmore community later this year.  

Campus Safety Advisory Committee Members

• Kara Cetto Bales, Associate Director for Environmental Health and Safety for Academic Affairs
• Faculty position currently vacant  
• Tess Malloy, student, Class of 2026
• Josh Maxwell, student, Class of 2026
•  Tim Munro, committee chair, Director of Campus Safety
• Ann Marie Przywara, Director of Student Conduct

Timeline

• September 2020 – Racial Justice Initiative announced.
• November 2020 – Campus Safety Advisory Committee meets to discuss updated committee charge and work ahead on Racial Justice Initiative.
• December 2020 – Campus Safety Advisory Committee meets twice to review Student Government Association survey data, discuss focus group opportunities and interview and select external consultant(s). 
• January 2021 – Campus Safety Advisory Committee meets with Margolis Healy to discuss elements of upcoming work.
• February 2021 – Margolis Healy interviews and forums begin.
• March 2021 – Campus Safety Advisory Committee meets with Margolis Healy to review preliminary findings and trends and set regular meetings going forward.
• April 2021 – Draft report due from Margolis Healy.
• Fall 2021 – Report with recommendations to be shared with Skidmore campus community.
• Fall 2021 – Action steps identified to address recommendations. 

Completed Margolis Healy Listening Sessions and Key Informant Interviews

• Office of Student Diversity Programs (OSDP) club leadership
• Student Government Association (SGA) Senate
• Residential Life student staff
• Bias Response Group
• Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU)
• Mental Health and Access Services
• Open student forums
• Open faculty/staff forums 
• Campus Safety staff
• Human Resources staff
• Office of Communications and Marketing staff