ASU Trustees Focus On Campus Safety By Frank Ruggiero The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees placed safety high on its agenda at last Friday’s regular meeting. Two drug-related student murders have occurred in 13 months, and a recent report placed Appalachian State at the top of the list for referring more drug-related offenses to judicial affairs than any other school in the University of North Carolina system in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Associated Press reported that university data revealed that ASU’s office of judicial affairs handled 142 drug-related offenses in 2004, which is higher than any other school in the 16-campus system. Jeannine Underdown Collins, chair of the Student Development Committee, said that while her committee’s agenda featured student fees and housing projects and future plans, student safety took precedence. The committee recommended that board of trustees chairman Robert Fox issue a statement on student safety. Fox opened by saying the board of trustees was thoroughly briefed by staff, university police and the Boone Police Department regarding safety and security on campus and in the community. “The trustees are extremely pleased with the seriousness and commitment demonstrated on the part of these individuals and their organizations for the overall safety of the campus community and the welfare of Appalachian students,” Fox said, praising the “excellent working relationship” between ASU administration, university police, the Boone Police Department and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. “All parties said that they believe there are no indications that safety issues or drug use are more prevalent on this campus than on any other campus in America.” Regarding ASU’s ranking in drug-related offense referrals, Fox said the trustees attribute this to “the lack of consistent or mandated guidelines across the UNC system for reporting these numbers,” making it problematic when comparing levels of drug use on various campuses. “Furthermore, when the number of drug-related referrals is calculated as a percentage of students living on campus, Appalachian’s numbers are comparable to other schools, with some being higher and some being lower,” Fox clarified. “The trustees also reviewed the current safety practices and procedures that have been in place for several years, including two safety committees that meet regularly to discuss and respond to concerns or opportunities for improvement, housing and residence life programs, orientation activities for students and parents, and the counseling and educational programs available to all students on campus.” Fox said the trustees were briefed on initiatives from the UNC system’s Task Force on the Safety of the Campus Community, and that of the seven recommendations generated by the task force, ASU is already in full compliance with five of them “and aggressively moving forward on the remaining two.” He did not elaborate on the recommendations, but a university news release said they include “[standardizing] admissions applications, creation of a campus safety committee on each campus, training to help university personnel identify and respond to applicants or students who may pose a threat to the safety of the campus community, and regular threat assessments, inventories of current safety practices and resources, and safety climate surveys conducted on each campus.” Fox said the trustees unanimously endorsed and praised such steps to address any drug use on campus and in Watauga County, encouraging university administration and local authorities to continue the aggressive approach. “This aggressive approach will lead to higher reporting numbers,” Fox admitted. “The trustees continue to support aggressive efforts by the university, town of Boone and Watauga County law enforcement officials to identify, arrest and prosecute those engaged in providing and selling illegal drugs.” He said the trustees acknowledge that while some students experiment with drugs and alcohol for the first time in college, many students come to campus with prior knowledge and experience of drug- and alcohol-use.