How EU should have responded to a security concern

Director of Residence Life Kevin Krauskopf sent an email to residential students about a religious group attempting to recruit in the dorms on Feb. 8. This email was vague at best and lacked important details about what is being done to deal with the issue. 

If students are to be told to look out for a religious group attempting to recruit students on campus, information about the group, such as the group’s name, recruitment tactics, and names of the individuals should be acknowledged. This information was absent. 

Providing details gives students the ability to properly know what to look out for, such as behavioral changes amongst friends and unusual interactions with strangers.

There is also the issue of the fact that the email lacked an entire population of Elmhurst University: non-residential students. 

Communication with this major chunk of EU’s student body is critical in combating safety issues. Non-residential students are also vulnerable to being approached by religious groups recruiting on campus and they should be kept in the loop on such happenings.

The Leader reached out to EU administrative officials and public safety to garner more information regarding this religious group and their activities, but there was a lack of response from both. 

For a school that strives to keep its students safe, the way in which this situation was handled is shameful. Students should have been provided with proper updates on what was being done to combat the issue of unwanted recruitment efforts, as well as what group to look out for. 

Information should have also been provided to campus media to properly inform students on the state of campus safety. 

EU should provide updates about what is going on with this religious group to all its students and attempt to stop any further contact besides merely telling students to report after they occur. Such mitigation efforts will prevent possible psychological and mental harm and ensure the student body is fully informed for their safety and security.