December 5, 2005

Student forum on safety to be held Wednesday at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A forum to discuss student safety issues will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 7) in Purdue's Fowler Hall in Stewart Center.

The forum was initiated after three female students reported assaults last week, said Jessica Hoffman, student government president. Hoffman is working with various campus departments to gather administrators to discuss what steps students can take to help them stay safe.

Representatives from the Purdue Police Department, the West Lafayette Police Department, the Office of the Dean of Students, the University News Service and the Purdue University Student Health Center have been invited to speak.

"For a campus of this size, statistically there are very few assaults," said Thomas B. Robinson, vice president for student services. "No university or community is a bubble, though, and there will be incidents no matter where you live.

"The forum will give students an opportunity to learn more about what Purdue has done to help improve campus safety and learn ways they can protect themselves."

Each of the speakers at Wednesday's forum will speak for about five minutes about how his or her area is involved in campus safety and what students can do to remain safe. Following the speakers, students in the audience will have a chance to ask questions.

"I'd like to encourage all students to take advantage of the different safety education and prevention programs Purdue offers," said Hoffman, a senior from St. Leon, Ind., majoring in advertising and public relations. "I hope the safety forum will assuage some of the students' fears and encourage them to be proactive and take simple precautions when around campus."

Campus safety programs include Safe Walk, a free escort service provided by the Purdue Student Security Patrol and Purdue police; more than 200 emergency phones; and safety education programs offered by the police department, such as a Rape Aggression Defense course.

Information on these programs and other valuable safety advice is available online.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Thomas B. Robinson, (765) 494-5776

Jessica Hoffman, (765) 494-7201, jdhoffma@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page