Campus Safety Top of Mind at UNC Board of Trustees Meeting

Campus safety was a big topic at the UNC Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, where the issue drew attention from the administration and the student body president.

The focus on safety comes after a violent sexual assault allegedly occurred in the parking lot of Shortbread Loft apartments on Rosemary Street on Friday, September 13.

UNC student body president Ashton Martin said at Thursday’s meeting that her senior advising team had been working on camps safety, particularly in what she described as the red zone.

“The red zone is the period between the beginning of school and about the middle of November when over half of the sexual assaults that will happen on campus happen during that period,” she said.

Her administration has held events across the campus in the first few weeks of the semester in an attempt to educate and advocate, she said.

Interim chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz also addressed during his remarks what he described as the “disturbing incidents” on the campus. He said the university police had been working with Chapel Hill Police to increase foot and vehicle patrols in areas where students have expressed concerns about safety, as well as the university reviewing fob access to certain buildings, lighting access on the campus and increased surveillance video.

“And we’re reviewing our emergency communication system – the Alert Carolina system – to ensure that it meets the needs of our community,” he said. “And so we’re committed to this.”

In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the university is investigating reports of verbal sexual harassment on campus around Davis Library earlier this month.

“There’s nothing more important than keeping our campus community safe,” Guskiewicz told reporters during a break at Thursday’s meeting. “And I’m committed to that, and we’re going to make sure that we have everything in place.”

Guskiewicz also recently started the campus safety commission, which has met several times since this summer with the goal of building trust between the university police and campus community.

Part of the work Martin said her team is focusing on is working with local bars to implement what’s known as an angel shot program.

“If you go to the bar and you ask for an angel shot, the bartender will know that you need assistance, and they’ll get you out of the situation,” Martin said. “We’ve actually had several times that it’s been used already this semester in several bars on Franklin Street. So, we’re seeing good traction from that.”

The campus safety commission is set to hold two listening sessions next month to gather input from the campus community.

Chapel Hill Police are continuing to investigate the sexual assault from September 13.