September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month across the United States. With that in mind, The University of New Mexico hosts its second annual Safety Week, Sept. 18-22, featuring a weeklong schedule of events designed to promote campus safety.
The events will provide information and promote resources and tools offering a safe campus to all students, staff, faculty and visitors.
UNM held a Safety Week last year as part of National Campus Safety Awareness Month in part due to the timeliness of the events that serve as a reminder to students, faculty and staff.
“There are a lot of campuses across the country that host these kinds of safety events,” said Clery Act Compliance Officer Rob Burford. “Since September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month, it makes sense to have it at the beginning of the year in the fall semester to remind faculty, staff and students about some of the things they learned about at orientation or in training that they may have forgotten about, so this is a great reminder.”
The week opens on Monday Sept. 18 with UNM President Chaouki Abdallah’s Proclamation of Safety Week at 11 a.m. in the Student Union Building (SUB) Atrium. Additionally, Safe Zone Training, a class designed to teach the campus community how to be an ally, terminology, and different types of hate, negativity, and phobias, will be featured.
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, UNM will perform its annual semester Campus Siren Test at 11:02 a.m. Later that evening, the Campus Safety Walk, an event designed to raise awareness about potentially troublesome areas around campus due to lighting or other concerns. Groups of students fan out across campus looking for these areas.
“We need students to go out and evaluate campus,” Burford said. “We want the students’ perspective. It’s a good community event that has become a tradition at UNM.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, an event titled Know Your Rights, with the UNM Dream Team, will discuss issues related to undocumented students. It’ll be followed by Immigration 101 that reviews basic immigration policies. A self-defense class will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the SUB Ballrooms.
On Thursday, Sept. 21, national speaker Kate Harding’s presents a talk titled, Taking down Rape Culture, at 7 p.m. in the SUB Ballrooms.
Finally, on Friday, Sept. 22, the UNM Police Department hosts an Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hokona Hall.
Schedule of events
Monday, Sept. 18
Proclamation of Safety Week – 11 a.m., Sub Atrium
#ReclaimTheRed Art Showcase – 12 to 1 p.m., Cornell Mall
Safe Zone Training – 1 to 4 p.m., Ortega Hall Reading Room
Universal & Gender Neutral Restroom Designation Scavenger Hunt – Monday through Thursday, Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO)
Tuesday, Sept. 19
Campus Siren Test – 11:02 a.m., Main Campus
Campus Safety Walk - 8 to 9 p.m., SUB Ballroom B
Wednesday, Sept. 20
Know Your Rights with UNM Dream Team - noon to 1 p.m., SUB Atrium
Immigration 101 – 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., SUB Atrium
Electronic Health & Safety in the Borderlands – 2 to 3 p.m., SUB Atrium
Self-Defense Workshop – 7 to 8 p.m., SUB Ballrooms
Thursday, Sept. 21
Campus Safety Resource Fair - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Smith Plaza
Taking Down Rape Culture featuring National Speaker Kate Harding – 7 to 9 p.m., SUB Ballrooms
Friday, Sept. 22
UNM Campus Police Open House - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Hokona Hall
“There are a lot of good events planned for Safety Week,” said Burford. “It’s incumbent upon student participation to make this event successful.”
For more information about Campus Safety Week, visit Office of Equal Opportunity. To learn more about campus safety, visit UNM Campus Safety.