Page 26 - Campus Security & Life Safety, November/December 2019

Campus Rides
“Having a campus-run safety shuttle is an admirable aspiration for a university, but ensuring it is convenient and efficient is
Icriticaltostudentadoption.”
t is no secret that university students keep odd hours. Whether they are staying up all night to cram for a final at the library, work- ing a late shift after classes, or waking up early to put in a few more hours at the lab, college students roam campus at all hours of the evening, and ultimately, that can become a safety issue.
Keeping Students Safe
That is why many universities provide a range of ways to keep stu- dents safe as they move around, from key cards to student IDs. In addition, a number of others have instituted campus-run student
safety shuttles, which pick up students who were studying late at the library, attending an event at the student center, or even need a safe ride home from a weekend house party.
But these safe-ride programs have seen mixed success in how well they have been adopted and used by students. Generally, securing a ride on one of these shuttles means calling an operator, stating a loca- tion and waiting for a driver — sometimes for up to 45 minutes or an hour. Students often become frustrated and end up walking home by themselves in the dark, sometimes while inebriated — exactly what shuttles are intended to prevent.
Other students call a taxi or ride-share service, which is a better option than walking, but because these are outside services, they are no longer free and remove the student from the university’s campus security protection.
In an effort to find a more convenient way to help students arrive home safely, some universities and their campus security/police departments have explored partnering with existing ride-sharing companies to provide subsidized rides for students — a viable option, although not always free for students.
26 campuslifesecurity.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019