Attending a college in a downtown metropolitan area can be exciting, immersive and filled with opportunity.  

But it can also carry risk.

Last week, a group of freshman students were attacked by an outside group while on a class field trip. This incident, among many, has shown that a city campus can be dangerous.

Though it was a relief to see campus police quick to take action, transparency from the administration and public safety concerning similar incidents has been eerily silent. 

Administration transparency has been a pressing issue for The Globe as of late, and this frightening situation that threatened the safety of members of our campus community is a glaring sign of this. Students never received notification of potential danger. 

We aren’t attempting to deny the competence of our campus security staff who protect us from harm on a daily basis. We are calling into question the secrecy that shrouds those in charge when incidents do take place.

We are also saddened by the administration’s firm hand against those who speak out on behalf of student’s safety when shortcomings leak through the cracks.  

A former security guard spoke with us candidly earlier this month about shortcomings in campus security desk postings across campus. He shared his concern about budget cuts affecting student safety and has since been relocated following the publication of “Security presence spotty across campus.” He was employed by ISS Security Services and hired by the university.

Here at The Globe, we strive to bring you information for the betterment of your college experience. We can’t do that accurately if we aren’t as equipped as possible concerning the safety of students at this downtown campus.

We understand the university can’t protect us from every stranger walking down Wood Street. That kind of expectation would be unrealistic. What we do expect is transparency on incidents that arise so we can protect ourselves. 

Do you feel safe on campus? Share your thoughts by emailing us at [email protected].