If you are a dean, director, department head or a faculty advisor, you have an important duty to help protect students, keep the campus safe and report crimes that have come to your attention.

Over the past few months, The University of New Mexico has identified more than 600 people on campus who serve as Campus Security Authorities (CSA’s). As defined by the Clery Act, CSA’s include those who deal with crime statistics such campus police or security officers, but also any institutional official who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities. That definition involves a large list of people from student organizations and residence hall advisors to athletic staff and coaches.

“Being a CSA is not an opt-out position or one that can be assigned to an assistant,” said UNM Deputy Police Chief Christine Chester, who serves as the interim Clery Coordinator. “It’s defined by the job they do and the contact they have with students.”

Because they play a vital role in making sure this campus is safe and crime statistics are accurately reported, CSA’s must take additional training. The online course through Learning Central outlines their responsibilities such as handling reports of criminal activity on campus and directing students and employees to the resources available to them.

“A student who has been the victim or a witness of a crime is much more likely to tell someone like a coach or an adviser than they are to come to campus police,” Chester said. “This training will help them know what to do to help and how to make sure the crime statistic is reported as is required.

Most of the CSA’s have been identified, but if you have not registered, sign up as soon as possible at police.unm.edu. Once you are registered and approved, you must take the Campus Security Authority training either through the Learning Central portal or at the UNMPD CSA security login page.