Notre Dame College Restructures Safety Department

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio—13 April 2006— Notre Dame College has announced the restructuring of its safety department as a result of the College’s review of internal policies, procedures, protocols and personnel that were announced after several incidents on campus were reported last December. The newly structured Campus Safety Department is designed to maximize the safety of students and the local community.

Changes will be most visible in the patrol duties previously conducted by the Campus Police. That function will be outsourced to Guardsmark, a highly regarded contract security firm, beginning April 18. Campus Police will continue to function with a reconfigured staff, including a Director of Campus Safety and an investigator. It will retain its full peace officer authority and continue to work with the prosecutor on any outstanding cases.

Although the College has had its own police department for the past eight years, it believes a hybrid structure combining both a security and police function will help maximize the department’s efficiency. The new organization will help meet the changing needs of the College which has doubled its enrollment and tripled the number of its resident students since 2001. The new department will complement the South Euclid Police Department and the local community it serves.

The College will form a task force of campus safety and law enforcement professionals to study current trends and best practices for campus safety and its structure in a small college setting. Municipal police chiefs, the campus safety director and student life professionals with safety experience will make up the task force, which is expected to enhance communication with local police departments as well as students. The task force will also solicit input from Notre Dame College students, faculty and staff. Recommendations are expected to be presented within the next six months.

According the Dr. Andrew Roth, president of Notre Dame College, “The College has made every effort to maximize the safety of the students to the best of our ability. We believe that this project will improve safety for the students while following emerging best practices of other colleges.”

The review has also led to additional changes that include a restructured Student Life Department, a reinvigorated student-judicial process, new safety procedures in the residence halls and additional programs addressing health and safety issues. A new Associate Dean of Students who will report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs is expected to be hired within the next three months.

For additional information, contact Mary Ann Kovach at 216.373.5252 or mkovach@ndc.edu.

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