Legislative Number: S-103-06 Final Vote: Passed
　
Authors: Blake Rainey, et al. Senate Secretary: Will Jones
　
Dean of Student Life: Dean Vogel Student Senate Chair: Will Stovall
　
1 A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE "FACULTY SENATE RESOLUTION
2 ON CAMPUS SAFETY"
3
4 WHEREAS Southern Methodist University "is committed to
5 maintaining an educational environment that supports
6 safety and well-being through University policies,
7 resources, education and prevention programs" (Message
8 from President R. Gerald Turner, Oct. 1, 2015), and
9
10 WHEREAS it is the responsibility of all members of the University
11 community to "take reasonable precautions and work
12 together to make our campuses secure environments"
13 (SMU 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, page
14 1), and
15
16 WHEREAS it is a comprehensive standard of accreditation set forth by
17 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that "the
18 institution takes reasonable steps to provide a healthy, safe,
19 and secure environment for all members of the campus
20 community" (SACS Principles of Accreditation, 3.11.2),
21 and
22
23 WHEREAS the SMU Faculty Senate "bears the responsibility of
24 speaking and acting for the General Faculty in matters
25 affecting the University as a whole" (Faculty Senate
26 Constitution, Preamble), and
27
28 WHEREAS during the three-year period from 2012 to 2014, on the
29 SMU Main Campus and the contiguous surrounding area,
30 there were thirteen forcible sex offenses reported to police
31 and an additional four forcible sex offenses reported to
32 other campus officials (SMU 2014 Annual Security and
33 Fire Safety Report, page 25), and
34
35 WHEREAS during the same three-year period, there were four reported
36 incidents of robbery, ten reported incidents of aggravated
37 assault, nineteen reported incidents of burglary, and
38 numerous other reported criminal offenses (SMU 2014
39 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, pages 25-26), and
40
41 WHEREAS during a single week in April 2016, two robberies and an
42 attempted robbery on campus were reported to the SMU
43 Police (Message from SMU Aware, April 23, 2016), and
44
45 WHEREAS on July 7, 2016, a group of police officers was ambushed
46 and fired upon in downtown Dallas, resulting in the deaths
47 of five officers and injuries to nine others (Dallas Morning
48 News, "Dallas police shooter killed 4 officers on the street,
49 1 through a second-floor window," July 14, 2016),
50
51 BE IT THEREFORE that the Student Senate joins the Faculty Senate of Southern
52 RESOLVED Methodist University in requesting the administration to:
53
54 (1) review current emergency and security procedures;
55 (2) take all necessary steps to keep pace with changing
56 safety concerns; and
57 (3) report to the Faculty Senate before the end of the Fall
58 2016 semester on what progress is being made.
59
60 Respectfully Submitted,
61
62 Blake Rainey
63 Student Body President
64
65 Will Jones
66 Student Body Secretary
67
68 Nathan DeVera
69 Student Senate Parliamentarian
70
S-103-06
My thoughts:
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