Over the course of the last year, we have been actively engaging in conversations with our university community members about campus safety. In response to the feedback we collected through those conversations, combined with a number of recent incidents that occurred on the Loop and Lincoln Park Campuses, Public Safety announced the implementation of
building access changes to enhance campus safety earlier this week.
Please know that DePaul is absolutely committed to building an inclusive community. We will continue to work with our community to find the right approach to implement these changes and to ensure everyone is able to feel safe and enjoy their time at DePaul. We understand there are concerns about how these policies will be implemented in real time on campus at a university as diverse as ours, and we recognize ID requests require sensitivity and learning.
To that end, DePaul Public Safety Officers will be required to complete a two-part Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training, which will help to mitigate the likelihood of racial or ethnic profiling. The first part is an online model and will be implemented immediately for all officers, both new and veteran. Topics in the online training will include recognizing and reflecting on cultural biases, examining intersectionality to see how your own cultural identity influences your perspective and biases, and contributing to an inclusive environment where all perspectives are considered. This training will provide foundational knowledge and will be the beginning of a dialogue and ongoing training program for public safety personnel to continue our commitment to DEI and anti-racism on campus.
The second training, which is being developed, will be conducted in-person, facilitated by the Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity, and will examine how DEI concepts are included and applied in the everyday work of public safety personnel.
Student voices and varying perspectives will shape this training content. On Monday, October 9, students affiliated with the Cultural Resource Centers (DePaul’s Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American [APIDA] and Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning Queer Asexual and Ally [LGBTQA] Cultural and Resource Centers) are invited to come together in community and share their thoughts and concerns about safety on campus, the ID safety enhancement and other safety protocols.
Having an awareness of all the dimensions of diversity is important — and reflecting on those dimensions needs to be constant and ongoing. My hope is that every participant leaves the listening sessions with increased awareness — and much to reflect on and consider.
Recent incidents remind us that campus safety is a designated focus area of Designing DePaul, our framework for becoming a national leader in higher education. But it is important to remember that Designing DePaul is also focused on emotional safety and ensuring our full community feels included in this important work. This is an opportunity and time to connect across our university community and with one another.