While we are in the midst of unprecedented times, the dedication of our team at Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services (CSEMS) will always be constant. As a service unit of the Division of Student Experience, we have a strong mission that is dedicated to providing our community, year-round, best in class emergency and non-emergency response, safety, law enforcement, risk identification and mitigation, and transportation services.
Each day, we strive to foster a relationship with our community, and to create a campus environment that feels welcoming, safe, and supportive. Our service-based departments are comprised of professionally certified and licensed employees including NYS certified peace officers, NYS licensed security guard community services and residential community safety officers; NYS certified fire codes and fire/life safety officers, nationally certified emergency communications personnel; global travel safety staff; and administrative professionals.
As you browse through the pages of this report, we would like to highlight a few of our achievements over the last year including:
- Implementation of the neighborhood three-point safety plan, which includes enhanced shuttle services, introduction of a walking escort program, and additional neighborhood cameras.
- Enhancing security measures in all residence halls by transitioning to a 24-hour residential safety unit, staffed with 96 full-time residential community safety officers, supported by student residential security aids at the main entrances.
- Critical project collaboration in the planning and installation of electronic access controls and cameras in the Barnes Center and National Veterans Resource Center.
Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services
A Year in Review 2022-2023
Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services (CSEMS), a unit within the Student Experience, is a team of diverse, caring, and collaborative professionals dedicated to promoting a safe, secure, and inclusive University by enhancing safety and security.
The unit draws together all functional areas that have a primary focus on community safety, crisis and emergency response, investigations, and campus law enforcement. The unit permits a better focus on student interests related to proactive response to campus and off-campus personal safety issues, crime prevention, and emergency preparedness, response, and communication.
The vision of the unit is to provide high-quality service to the campus community that is collaborative, consistent, accountable, flexible, and that takes full advantage of the synergy gained by a unified organization. We accomplish this by:
- collaborating with campus partners;
- enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of our practice areas, with particular attention to leveraging new and improved technologies;
- communicating more often, more transparently, and at a higher quality with the University community; utilizing resources in a fiscally responsible manner;
- engaging in ongoing planning in support of our department’s current and evolving challenges; and
- by being active citizens of the campus community.
Collectively, our customers include students, student’s families, faculty, staff and visitors. We strive to:
- Provide ongoing avenues of communication to keep the campus community informed of our programs and services;
- Influence and encourage safe behaviors to help community members identify, understand and implement best practices for creating a healthy and safe environment that is compliant with applicable federal, state, and local regulations;
- Accommodate requests for special events, lectures, and seminars to support the academic mission;
- Protect the University’s human, intellectual, physical and financial assets and resources;
- Provide support for international travel safety, workplace safety, personal property insurance, and premise liability reduction;
- Provide accessible information and communication for parents/visitors, particularly during a campus-wide crisis or an incident that affects their student(s);
- Provide University-wide video security systems and building electronic access controls including managing exterior door locking schedules.
Professionalism and Quality
CSEMS members strive to exemplify professionalism and quality in our everyday interactions with community members. We do this by:
- Providing consistent, reliable, high-quality services in a timely manner;
- Looking for ways to continuously improve and increase efficiency and effectiveness;
- Maintaining a positive, “can-do” attitude and the highest level of professionalism;
- Empowering our staff and demanding accountability from each other.
Honesty and Integrity
CSEMS members value honesty and integrity and aspire to consistently treat others fairly, politely, and respectfully. The CSEMS team believes in:
- Modeling the behavior we expect from others;
- Being open to new ideas and opinions;
- Being compassionate and committed in all aspects of our job;
- Meeting our objectives in an honest, ethical and trustworthy manner.
Support and Collaboration
CSEMS focuses on fostering collaborative relationships throughout the University to support the University community. CSEMS demonstrates these values by:
- Being open and approachable;
- Addressing questions, comments and concerns in a supportive and responsive manner;
- Seeking to understand the needs and objectives of others to help identify mutually agreeable solutions;
- Promoting effective and consistent open communication;
- Promoting safety and compliance through education and guidance on best management practices.
Diversity and Inclusion
CSEMS members strive to promote an environment that supports, encourages, and empowers individuals from all backgrounds. We do this by:
- Creating an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion;
- Demonstrating respect for opinions and ideas of others;
- Increasing our efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce representing the community we serve;
- Actively participating in opportunities to increase and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives across campus.
Service and Dedication
CSEMS’ highly professional staff are dedicated to the mission and values of the University and to providing the highest level of service to protect human health and the environment. CSEMS’ service and dedication is exemplified by our:
- Passion and commitment to safety and helping others;
- Consistent efforts to protect people, the environment and the University’s assets and reputation;
- Willingness to offer assistance whenever needed;
- Commitment to being effective, efficient and fiscally responsible;
- Strong team-based approach used to identify innovative solutions and accomplish objectives.
The departments within Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services collaborate on a regular basis to provide a high-quality service to all our constituents. Below you can find highlights from each department on what they have achieved over the past year.
Employee development is always top of mind for the members of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services. The unit has taken steps to broaden the knowledge based on the topic of diversity and inclusion.