Sam Houston State University (SHSU) takes reasonable steps to provide a healthy, safe, and secure environment for all members of the campus community. SHSU has multiple systems in place to ensure the health, safety, and security of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Responsibility for ensuring health, safety, and security is spread across various divisions and departments on campus. All policies, procedures, and resources described herein apply to the SHSU main campus, as well as The Woodlands Center and the College of Osteopathic Medicine locations.
University Health and Safety
Facilities Management, overseen by the Vice President for Facilities Management, is primarily responsible for the university’s facilities. The mission of Facilities Management is to support the University’s instruction, research, and public service programs by operating and maintaining the facilities effectively and efficiently. Facilities Services and Residence Life Maintenance have staff on-call 24/7 to respond to emergency maintenance issues in campus buildings and residence halls. The university’s Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) office is responsible for administering safety programs designed to promote a safe and healthy campus environment for all students, faculty, and staff. These programs include fire, health, and occupational safety.
Policies and procedures are currently in place to provide for the security and maintenance of university buildings [1] [2] [3]. Security measures include policies for locking buildings, offices, and rooms; re-coring door locks; and key distribution and inventory . All buildings, offices, and classrooms are locked when they are not occupied. It is the policy of the University that other than during normal working hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm), all buildings shall be locked unless a scheduled program or activity is in progress. Building keys or access cards are issued for entry to University buildings for the purpose of conducting University business only. Faculty and staff may be issued keys to University buildings upon recommendation of the department chair or administrative head. Approval of the building liaison is required for all building entrance keys.
The University’s facilities are inspected every 5 years by the State Fire Marshall’s Office. Pursuant to the findings in the Fire Marshall’s Safety Inspection Report dated May 26, 2019 [4], the University has developed a comprehensive corrective action plan [5] to further ensure the safety of persons and facilities. Additionally, a fire protection policy [6] is implemented through the EH&S office [7]. Additional policies and procedures that support fire safety include building inspections [8], fire drill protocols [9], fire extinguisher evaluations [10], and fire alarm callout procedures [11].
In addition to the State Fire Marshall’s inspection, the EH&S office at SHSU conducts safety evaluations of SHSU buildings on a regular basis. EH&S staff inspect for items covered under all applicable regulatory agencies such as the National Fire Protection Association, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality [12], Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Institutes of Health [13], Department of State Health Services [14], and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Findings from these evaluations result in the identification of corrective actions and timelines for completion [15].
SHSU has developed policies and procedures to ensure that its employees are safe, especially those persons working in potentially hazardous conditions. These policies and procedures include such topics as protective wear (e.g., hard hats) [16], hazard communication [17], hot work [18], lockout/tagout [19], and specified radio channels [20].
Proper handling of biochemical and hazardous materials is governed through the Environmental Health & Safety office. Policies regarding the use of these materials and a biohazard cleanup protocol [21] are included as part of the EH&S policies and procedures. These address issues regarding chemical hygiene [22], compressed gas [23], hazardous waste [24], lab inspections [25], and lab spill response procedures [26].
In addition to the above referenced publications and procedures, SHSU provides online training courses that provide further information relating to occupational safety.
Student Affairs and Residential Living
The Division of Student Affairs [27], overseen by the Vice President for Student Affairs, is the primary university division responsible for student engagement on the SHSU campus. Programs and services from this division are designed to promote student health and wellness and enhance student safety.
The Division of Student Affairs offers a multitude of programs designated for the promotion of student safety and health. Below are a few of these highlighted programs:
Students' physical and mental health is served by the component departments that make up Student Health and Wellbeing. This includes:
Wellness is an important contributor to a commitment of academic and professional success. The university supports student participation in a variety of wellness activities. These opportunities are available through the Department of Campus Recreation. The mission of the Department of Campus Recreation is to provide students safe recreational programs and facilities that enhance their educational experience and quality of life. Campus Recreation consists of seven program areas: Aquatics, Club Sports, Informal Recreation, Intramural Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Special Events. The department also manages eight recreational facilities. The Student Wellness Department is also key to supporting the campus wellness culture for students. Their mission is to collaborate with campus partners to build a culture of health and wellness that supports academic, personal, and professional success. Student Wellness focuses their programming around the eight dimensions of wellness: Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Social, Occupational, Financial, and Environmental. A key program offered by Student Wellness is the Peer Health Ambassador (PHA) program. These are student staff who provide peer to peer education to SHSU students. The PHA’s host events across campus focused on various health topics and interact with SHSU students on a weekly basis.
The Department of Residence Life [38], within the Division of Student Affairs, is charged with maintaining the safety of all students living in on-campus housing. Policies for residence hall safety inspections, KatSafe response, and evacuations are in place to ensure student and staff safety [39]. To further enhance safety in the residence halls, residents must use University identification cards to enter their building. Students are informed of other safety-related policies and procedures through the Residence Life Resident Handbook [40].
Emergency Response and Public Safety
The Sam Houston State University Police Department (SHSUPD), overseen by the Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety Services, is the primary responder for campus emergencies, including those that occur at the University’s The Woodlands Center and the College of Osteopathic Medicine locations [41]. SHSUPD employs 28 commissioned and licensed police officers, which include one associate vice president, two directors, six police supervisors/sergeants, one lieutenant, two detectives, and sixteen patrol officers.
Additionally, the department provides several other services and safety measures, such as emergency call boxes located around campus, police escorts for students during the evening and nighttime hours, vehicle jump starts, crime prevention/awareness programs, and publication of campus crime statistics [42] [43]. SHSUPD has a support staff of 21, which include a Director of Emergency Management, an Emergency Manager, a full-time telecommunications supervisor, seven full-time telecommunications operators, and 11 part-time student assistants as parking control and foot patrol officers.
University police officers are authorized by State statute to enforce federal, state, and local laws and/or any regulation issued by the Texas State University System Board of Regents on property under the control and jurisdiction of SHSU. Section 51.203 of the Texas Education Code states that “the governing boards of each state institution of higher education and public technical institute may employ and commission peace officers for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this subchapter” [44]. The primary jurisdiction of peace officers commissioned under this section includes all counties in which property is owned, leased, rented, or otherwise under the control of the institution of higher education or public technical institute that employs the peace officers or otherwise in the performance of their duties. In addition, SHSU PD has strong working relationships with peer agencies in Walker and Montgomery Counties to help ensure safety and policing is provided in a productive, proactive, and responsive manner for all instructional locations. To that extent, SHSU PD works closely with the Huntsville Police Department, Walker County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Conroe Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol & Texas Rangers, and federal partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service .
Texas Education Code, Section 51.217, requires that institutions of higher education adopt and implement a multi-hazard emergency operation plan that addresses mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery activities. The institution’s Emergency Management Plan provides the University community with the appropriate course of action in the event of a natural disaster, civil/campus emergency, or other catastrophic event impacting campus or the local community [45] and is accessible to the public via the KatSafe webpage [46]. An Emergency Procedures Quick Reference is posted in all academic classrooms and other appropriate locations on campus [47]. As part of SHSU’s development of its emergency response plans, the institution has developed a relationship with a third-party vendor (Blackboard Connect) to provide the SHSU community with a mass notification system to include emails, texts, desktop alerts, phone calls, social media posts, and an outdoor warning system. The system, known as KatSafe, has been in use since the fall 2008 semester and allows SHSU community members to receive real-time notifications in emergency situations occurring on or off campus that impact the daily operations of the University [48]. The Division of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) coordinates the KatSafe system.
SHSU has adopted the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in accordance with the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5. The institution’s adoption of NIMS provides a consistent approach to the effective management of situations involving natural or man-made disasters, or terrorism. NIMS allows the institution to integrate its response activities using a set of standardized organizational structures designed to improve interoperability between the institution and external partners [49].
To educate the campus community on SHSU emergency protocols, the University also publishes guides and educational videos for such emergency events as active shooters, bomb threats, evacuations, fires, hazardous materials, hurricanes, and tornadoes [50]. Additionally, new employees are required to view training videos for the KatSafe program [51] and the SHSU Police Department [52] as part of the required new employee orientation.
Reporting Structure
Together, Facilities Services, the Division of Student Affairs, and the University Police Department each play a significant role in ensuring a healthy, safe, and secure environment for all members of the campus community. The responsible administrator for each of these units reports either directly or within one reporting hierarchy to the university President [53].