Slightly distasteful crowing about safe campus from a college

[Ginevra]

Maybe we can just call this smart marketing, but I find it a little questionable myself. One of the colleges my senior has been accepted to sent us an email crowing about how they made the list of the 100 Safest Colleges in the Nation. In it, the school notes that student safety is “always on the minds†of parents sending their kids off to college, but I hardly think it’s coincidental that this email was crafted right now, with school shootings and safety on everyone’s minds.

 

In a side note, I do think it interesting that Virginia Tech makes the list, though we all remember the mass shotting that happened there. Certain things just stick in one’s mind.

 

Appologies for not linking the list; it had some sort of article lock on it and I could copy the link. I’m sure you could find it by googling, though if you’re curious.

 

Is it distasteful timing? Or am I feeling hypersensitive (distinct possibility)?

[Guest]

A few of ds's colleges sent postcards saying the same thing and that was way before the FL shooting.

Maybe it is part of their standard marketing. Although, they had to be on the list before they could make that statement.

[FaithManor]

We have received these too. I have to say that the one from MSU was laughed at openly in this house. After the Nassar horror came out, no one thinks that State cares particularly much about the actual safety of students, just the appearance of it and the spewing of standard rhetoric.

[katilac]

It's standard marketing I can vouch for at least the last five years, since oldest started looking. Safety has been mentioned in almost, possibly every, campus visit. 

 

I'm sure it goes back farther than that. Student safety is on the minds of most parents sending their kids to school. I know we had emergency call boxes 25+ years ago. Colleges tend to emphasize the number of officers on campus and response time, along with any additional safety features like being able to call for an escort. 

 

And schools will send an email every time they make a top whatever list. 

[J-rap]

I can understand K-12 school wanting to help pacify nervous parents about the steps they're taking, but for a college to use it as a marketing strategy (in the midst of all that's going on) bothers me too.  Because in reality, so much of it is just luck.

[Ann.without.an.e]

If any college makes any list, they are going to market that to you.  It may just be coincidental timing.  

[Guest]

I can understand K-12 school wanting to help pacify nervous parents about the steps they're taking, but for a college to use it as a marketing strategy (in the midst of all that's going on) bothers me too. Because in reality, so much of it is just luck.

 

...and demographics.

[Pawz4me]

I'd assume it's just a marketing thing with coincidental poor timing.

 

And I also feel compelled to point out that Parkland, Florida, where the shooting occurred, had been voted Florida's safest city. Which goes to show stuff like that means pretty much nothing.

[Wheres Toto]

Okay, I'm reading the list and I'm skeptical. 

 

They list Rutgers New Brunswick as "right across the river from Philadelphia".   Um, nope.  It's actually on the other side of the state and farther North.   Plus it's known to have an assault problem because it's so spread out it's hard to effectively patrol.

 

Dd's school is on the list which isn't really a surprise since there's a state police barracks on campus (not mentioned in the blurb).

 

 

 

[Bambam]

The colleges we have visited have talked about safety. They have a variety of marketing appeals : "Established in 18xx", intramural sports teams, great gyms with neat rock climbing walls, famous faculty, social clubs, safety, low teacher-student ratio, programs to help struggling students, programs to challenge good students (although they do not phrase it that way!), etc, etc. It really is a marketing pitch. Personally, I'd rather hear things like freshman retention rate, graduation rate, employment rates (for each specific major), etc, They will answer those questions, but those don't seem to be what the majority of folks are interested in. 

[Janie Grace]

I think it's standard marketing and I'm sure it's more related to crime rates (esp. sexual assault) than shootings. I rarely worry about shootings (they are rare) but I worry a lot about sexual assault.

[GinaPagnato]

I think it's standard marketing and I'm sure it's more related to crime rates (esp. sexual assault) than shootings. I rarely worry about shootings (they are rare) but I worry a lot about sexual assault.

 

:iagree:

[Guest]

I think it's standard marketing and I'm sure it's more related to crime rates (esp. sexual assault) than shootings. I rarely worry about shootings (they are rare) but I worry a lot about sexual assault.

True. My dd’s college got on the list of top schools that have mishandled sexual abuse cases. Mishandled. Like, “Oops! We accidentally knocked that file off behind the file cabinet and can’t reach it!†😡

[bettyandbob]

 

In a side note, I do think it interesting that Virginia Tech makes the list, though we all remember the mass shotting that happened there. Certain things just stick in one’s mind.

 

?

I think it would be difficult to make any campus safe from a mass shooting. I think these things refer to more individual crimes like assault. And to safety precautions available like call boxes, night services to escort an individual from the library to dorm in the dark, other crime prevention efforts.

[bibiche]

I'm sure it has more to do with general campus safety. And the fact that universities are even required to maintain and divulge campus crime statistics is thanks to the Jeanne Clery Act: https://clerycenter.org/policy-resources/the-clery-act/

 

Jeanne was brutally murdered in 1986. Her parents would not have let her attend Lehigh University, where the murder took place, if they had known of the numerous violent crimes on the campus. I'm thankful to Mr and Mrs Clery for working so hard to ensure that other families are less likely to face a loss similar to theirs.