In light of recent incidents occurring at other universities around the country, Quinnipiac University’s Department of Public Safety took precautions with safety policies at the start of the spring semester to ensure a secure campus and stress-free students.
On Dec. 13, two students were killed and one injured by a gunman at Brown University in Providence, R.I. — just 112 miles from Quinnipiac. With several national tragedies in mind, safety is the No. 1 priority across all three campuses at Quinnipiac.
In August, there was an emergency preparedness exercise that included local and state law enforcements.
“I feel very safe on campus but honestly sometimes it is too much,” Hailey Webb, a first-year 3+1.5 occupational therapy major said. “It is a hassle to have people here that are not enrolled at Quinnipiac due to pub safety.”
Webb also expresses how it is hard to use Uber or Doordash since they only allow food delivery and driving services to go to the North Lot.
Webb explains how she would make small changes to the way campus safety works. Specifically, Webb wishes Hogan Lot could be open to Ubers and Doordash again, as it was in the past. The change was made earlier this academic year in an effort to keep students safe from dangerous conditions in and around the parking lot.
“It is really inconvenient to walk to North Lot to pick up food or get picked up especially in the cold,” she said.
Students expressed mixed views on the “overbearing” tactics of public safety officers. While students are confident in the safety on campus with Public Safety checking Q-cards and restricting visitors, this can also cause struggles with parking and guests.
“I feel like they do a great job at checking people in and making sure they go here or not,” sophomore Diagnostic Medical Sonography major Samantha Hartman said.
But there is something she would change.
“The one thing I would change about public safety is how strict they are with parking,” Hartman said. “I like how they are very concerned about who comes into the school but the students that have Q-cards and proof they go here should not have a hard time especially on the weekends. Some of the public safety officers can be very harsh for no reason.”
Finding a balance that works for both the Quinnipiac community and safety officers is crucial for students’ accessibility to navigate easy parking on campus.
Jaymes Ippolito, a first-year marketing student, also noted how he feels safe on campus, but suggests more prominence of the blue light systems in case of emergency.
At other universities, the average number of blue light systems is 250-300, whereas Quinnipiac only has roughly 56.
The Mount Carmel, York Hill and North Haven Campuses maintain a strong presence to keep safe and happy students all over campus.
If a student has any safety related concerns, they may contact Chief Tony Reyes directly.
