Most on-campus residents feel secure in residence halls, according to survey

By DANA IRWIN
Collegian Staff Writer

Safety received high marks when students voiced their opinions in the quality of life surveys distributed to dorm residents last semester.

Students who live on campus were given an opportunity to answer questions and offer suggestions about their living and dining environment in the detailed, 54-question survey.

Dorm safety was the question receiving the highest scores, with 91.3 percent of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they felt safe in the dorms, said Conal Carr, assistant director of the Office of Residence Life.

Overall, the results were extremely positive, Carr said, and nearly 8,000 of the 12,000 students living on campus responded to the survey.

"I think the university takes enough safety precautions," Melissa Baker (freshman-elementary education) said. "I feel very safe and satisfied."

However, promoting safety is a combined effort between Penn State Police Services and resident assistants, said Kanch Algama, an RA in South Halls.

According to Police Services' press log, last semester about 81 incidents of theft were reported in and around the dorms, mostly involving stolen bikes.

There was one rape reported last semester by a resident in East halls.

About 51 incidents of harassment were reported, 44 of those involving harassment by phone and e-mail.

The low crime rate simply reflects the rest of the nation, Clifford Lutz, University police supervisor, said.

There has been a drop in the national crime rate for the past six years, Lutz said.

The survey responses were broken down by gender, and perhaps surprising, Carr said, is the fact that there was no difference between male and female students' responses to the safety issue.

Next fall semester may bring a small drop in the high numbers with more of the dorms changing to co-ed, Carr said.

Some students may feel less safe living in a co-ed dorm.

Students can do their part to promote safety by following dorm policies.

The dorm escort policy, which requires all guests be escorted by a student who lives in the dorm, is the major way in which students have the power to make dorms a safer place for students, Algama said.

• And the survey says ...