EDITORIAL: Elmhurst University should improve campus safety practices

Graphic from: HowIRound

The U.S. has now surpassed 125 mass shootings in 2023, and it’s only April. 

To make matters worse, mass shootings at schools have increased over the years. Just this year alone, we’ve already seen mass shootings happen at MSU and a Nashville elementary school. 

There needs to be stricter gun control laws across the country that include not only thorough background checks, but also a rigorous license system that requires people to go through multiple steps and training in order to acquire a firearm.

We hear about mass shootings in the news all the time, and because of this many of us have become desensitized to them; however, we should not let this desensitization stop us from improving safety.

Although, sadly, there is often no way to predict when or where such an event will occur. There are always steps we can take to improve campus safety and inform people of what to do should an active shooter situation — or any emergency situation — take place. 

Elmhurst University has already invested much effort into developing and improving safety: it has a robust Department of Public Safety available 24/7, informative emergency situation guides posted on its website, alert buttons in campus parking lots, locks on classroom doors, and key access cards for some classrooms. 

However, this is not enough. EU should develop a more thorough lock system and invest more effort into informing students and staff of what to do during emergency situations. 

Despite EU being a small campus, it is crucial to take these steps, because our safety and security are of utmost importance.

In addition, since EU’s campus is in the center of downtown Elmhurst, surrounded by train tracks, a park, and more, it’s an easy target for anyone in the surrounding area. 

One measure the administration can take is to develop a key access card system for all classroom doors. This will strengthen campus security and ensure that only students who are allowed in the classroom can get in. 

Another action they can take is to require students to take a short online module about emergency response situations as a part of the required online pieces of training students must complete at the beginning of each school year. 

EU should also consider training all faculty on what to do in the event of an active shooter situation. 

To improve communication about campus safety, they can blast out informative emails regarding campus safety practices and resources at least once each semester to the entire student body.  

They can also improve their EU alert text, email, and phone system by being more up-to-date when emergency situations take place. 

Lastly, the emergency information booklets and signs are in need of an update. The information in the booklets are often small and hard to read, so having larger text that clearly and succinctly explains what to do in different emergency situations would be a major help. 

While we may not be able to stop an emergency situation from happening, focusing on what we can control can make a huge difference in our ability to handle one.