(Aug. 27, 2019) -- A new report looking at the safety and security of America’s college campuses has named The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as one of the nation’s safest.
ASecureLife, a smart home and security company that researches and reviews the security industry, ranked the 100 most secure college campuses in the country. It ranks UTSA as the No. 2 safest university in Texas and the No. 30 safest in the nation. UTSA was recognized for its proactive measures to protect students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus.
To develop the ranking, ASecureLife researched, interviewed and analyzed 10 years’ worth of crime data from 320 four-year public and nonprofit colleges in the U.S., focusing on schools that offer student housing and have an average annual enrollment of 10,000 students or more. It looked at the number of criminal offenses on campus including assault, robbery and burglary from 2007 to 2017.
They found that UTSA had fewer property crimes on campus and safety initiatives in place to protect students compared to most colleges and universities.
“Assuring that our students and entire campus community can live, learn and work in a safe environment is our top priority,” said Gerald Lewis, UTSA associate vice president of public safety and chief of police. “This high safety ranking is a credit to everyone in the UTSA Department of Public Safety, as well as every member of our university community. Together, we are continually striving to improve safety on our campuses and we thank the administration and the university community for their continued partnership and support.”
UTSA takes proactive steps to cultivate a safe campus environment. It offers a variety of programs that encourage personal and community safety, such as It’s on Us: Call to Action Day, when Roadrunners take a stand against sexual violence; Party on the Paseo, which allows students to enjoy Fiesta San Antonio in a safe, alcohol-free environment; and National Night Out, a family-friendly event focused on safety and the prevention of crime. Many student organizations also partner with UTSA PD to hold safety awareness and education events throughout the year.
Additionally, the university enhanced its Orientation programs for Fall 2019 incoming students to place a greater emphasis on campus safety, and it offers residential curriculum for UTSA students living in on-campus housing.
Roadrunners can also connect directly to UTSA PD in addition to online safety resources by downloading the free Live Safe app on their mobile devices. The app crowdsources safety and security notices, offers a SafeWalk feature that allows families and friends to track their loved ones as they walk home, includes an anonymous reporting feature and allows students, faculty and staff to share their location in an emergency.
In all, 10 Texas universities made the ranking, the most of any state. They include:
See the entire list of 100 most secure college campuses in the U.S.
Learn more about UTSA’s Safe Campus Resources.
Learn how the UTSA Police Department keeps the community safe.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
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Magnolia Room (SU2.01.30,) Student Union, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
