Campus safety week returns

Unlike downtown Minneapolis, CSB+SJU is not located in a busy metro area where sirens and flashing lights are a daily occurrence. In the campuses’ more rural setting, safety risks may not always be apparent.

Last week, the CSB+SJU community took part in Safety Week. Last year was the first year that CSB+SJU hosted Campus Safety Week, focusing on introducing it to the campus. This year was more about deepening it.

“The truth is, most people don’t think much about safety until they need it, and in that moment, they often wish they were more familiar with what’s available to them,” said Russel Klein, the Chief Facilities and Resilience Officer on campus.

Klein oversees the campus emergency management and safety functions and is responsible for the institution’s overall readiness.

“Prevention and risk reduction are part of keeping people safe and avoiding an instance where someone would ever feel unsafe,” said Alex Smith, CSB senior.

The goal of Safety Week is to spread awareness and to familiarize students and faculty with the three pillars of campus safety: Crisis
Response, Occupational Safety and Engagement and Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment.

“Throughout the week, we hosted a variety of events designed to bring the three pillars to life: Daily Trivia Challenges, Bystander Intervention Training, Naloxone (Narcan) training, a campus safety walk and a Wall of Hope event focused on suicide prevention led by the CSB Health Advocates,” Klein said. “We also offered Alcohol and Other Drugs awareness tabling, social media safe messaging campaigns, de-escalation training and cultural competency sessions.”

Every activity aimed to meet people where they are, from recognizing early warning signs in others and learning safe intervention strategies to becoming more familiar with available campus resources. Stop@Buzzed hosted one of the tabling events, featuring a display that explained how alcohol interacts with both over-the-counter and prescription medications. others and learning safe intervention strategies to becoming more familiar with available campus resources.

Stop@Buzzed hosted one of the tabling events, featuring a display that explained how alcohol interacts with both over-the-counter and prescription medications.

“Stop@Buzzed isn’t just about responsible drinking; it’s also about safe drinking and understanding how alcohol can affect your body and overall well-being,” said Zoe Griffin, a CSB junior and member of Stop@Buzzed.

“Participation varied by event, but overall, we were very pleased with the turnout,” Klein said.

There were roughly 200-250 students who participated in the Daily Trivia, and other events saw strong engagement depending on student interest and employee roles.

“What mattered most was the energy and curiosity people brought. There was a genuine willingness to learn, to ask questions and to connect safety to their everyday experience on campus,” Klein said.

Klein said that safety can have different meanings for people.

“It might be physical security, mental well-being, or the sense of belonging that comes from being cared for,” Klein said.

Whether that’s physically seeing Life Safety officers driving around campus and doing building walkthroughs, or feeling a sense of belonging around campus, Smith said feeling safe around campus is important to the community at CSB+SJU.

“Personally, I feel safe on campus, but for others, that sense of security might come less easily. Some people might hear a noise outside and immediately feel uneasy. It really depends on the person and what makes them feel safe,” Smith said.

Smith also said that safety is more than preventing emergencies; it’s about creating an environment where people feel seen, valued, and connected. The best way to improve safety is to remember that it is everyone’s responsibility. Klein said students and faculty can become more safety-conscious with the right tools and support around them.

“Building a culture of safety is an ongoing process that takes empathy, education, and engagement fromeveryone in our community,” Klein said.