September 10, 2010
Department of Public Safety plans campus survey
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A survey by the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Department of Public Safety will seek input from on-campus students, faculty and staff on a variety of topics to assist the agency.
Director Todd D. Sigler said the survey is another way for the department to be responsive to the concerns of the campus community. The survey will help pinpoint any problem areas that respondents might see, and helps the department prioritize with limited resources, he said.
The survey will also be a benchmark for comparison with future surveys, Sigler said.
“We are trying to get some more longitudinal kinds of data,” he said.
The Department of Public Safety includes the University’s parking division and police department.
Sigler said he believes the department provides a good service, and is anxious to see the results. SIUC’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice assisted the department with the question format.
“I’m confident it will be pretty positive,” he said. “We want to know those areas that need improvement. We are asking people to take a few minutes to help us out and fill out the survey.”
The survey asks respondents to rate their most recent contact with the police department or parking division employee, and specifics on how they believe service can improve. The survey also explores safety concerns and asks respondents to rate the extent that they believe issues including speeding vehicles, jaywalking, vehicles not yielding to pedestrians, burglaries, assaults, property theft, organized gangs, and vandalism are problems on campus. Respondents also will have the opportunity to identify three main problems or concerns they see with safety on campus.
Sigler estimates the survey will be available to approximately 20,000 students, faculty and staff. Students will be able to access the survey through Blackboard, while faculty and staff will be told about the survey through email, Sigler said.
Sigler anticipates the survey will be available for approximately two weeks through late September. Survey results will be collected and available later this semester, he said.