Dive Brief:
- The just-launched 32 National Campus Safety Initiative is a free self-assessment tool for colleges, giving them the chance to review policies while completing a survey and to compare themselves with other schools once the data is aggregated.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that, during the tool's pilot, the University of Florida used the survey as an opportunity to bring together faculty members, students, and parents to discuss campus services, as well as any inconsistencies in policy universitywide.
- By giving colleges the chance to lead their own assessments, creators expect institutions to move beyond simply complying with various requirements and take the opportunity to think deeply about best practices.
Dive Insight:
Colleges across the country have been adding new programs, discussing new partnerships with local agencies, and assessing policies as a focus on campus safety has become a central concern for the public and elected officials as well as college leaders. Highly publicized cases of campus sexual assault and discrimination have prompted a certain level of soul-searching, and there still seems to be at least some level of hunger for more evaluation. The Chronicle reports that just a few hours after the survey was posted, nearly 40 colleges had signed up to take it. Once 100 institutions return their surveys, the data will be aggregated and posted as a comparison tool.