Improving the Prioritization of Safety Measures on College Campuses: Legislation

Abby Ruffcorn

BIO: Hi Everyone! My name is Abby Ruffcorn and I am a Senior Political Science Major from here in Spokane, WA. I am Student Body President here at Whitworth (ASWU)  and have been involved in a variety of things here on campus, including: Research, Model United Nations Team, Hosanna Worship Team, Internships and various initiatives. This summer I will be completing a Congressional Internship on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C under Congressman Michael Baumgartner. I am very excited for this opportunity and thankful for all who made it possible. 

MAJOR: Political Science, Pre-Law

Project Overview: Over the past 10 years there has been a huge uptick in violence on college campuses in the United States, however, there has been no significant state or federal legislative efforts produced to work to protect students on campuses. In addition, Campus Security staff members nationwide have been overwhelmed and have been facing burnout due to lack of support from university administrators, leaving college campuses and their students vulnerable. Under the Cleary Act, nationwide, campuses have reported over 23,000 crimes on college campuses. This is a situation that has been pushed forward even more by the increase of political divisions on campuses and the prevalent nature of protests that turn unpeaceful and spark further violence. This project seeks to demonstrate the need for federal legislation that demands one professional campus security officer per two hundred students on any college campus that takes federal funding from the United States government. Currently, in the United States, there is no clear baseline/bench marker for how many campus security officers an institution needs to have. This lack of foresight leaves room for campus violence to surge. Through this project I will write a policy that institutes a required number of security officers on any campus that takes federal funding and identifies itself as a university.