BUFA welcomes campus safety audit

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/12/2024 (282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) has lauded the university’s invitation to seek proposals from qualified firms to conduct a comprehensive campus-wide safety and security audit.

BUFA president Gautam Srivastava told the Sun the development is a necessary step in the right direction.

“This has been a long time coming,” Srivastava said in an interview on Saturday. “Our last safety and security audit was in 2015, and recent incidents, such as the attack near the campus bus stop, have highlighted the urgency of revisiting campus safety measures.”

Last week, BU announced an invitation for proposals from firms to conduct a comprehensive safety and security audit across its 20-acre campus.

The initiative, outlined in the university’s Request for Proposal (RFP) 2024-RFP07, aims to enhance campus safety for its community, which includes approximately 3,500 students, 450 faculty and staff and numerous visitors.

The initiative, Srivastava said, addresses concerns raised by the faculty since 2023, calling for a new safety audit after an incident at the University of Waterloo, where a professor was stabbed.

“We started requesting the administration to do a new security and safety audit to identify deficiencies on campus and address concerns to improve safety for students, faculty, and staff,” the BU professor said.

He noted that the last safety and security audit at Brandon University was conducted in 2015, adding a new review was overdue.

“We want the campus to be an inviting place for guests, a secure environment for workspaces, and a setting where students can focus on their education without worrying about safety,” he explained.

While the administration had already begun the groundwork for an RFP, a protest and a subsequent town hall meeting prompted quicker action, he said.

Commenting on the timeline for the audit, Srivastava said it was difficult to predict how quickly the process would be completed.

“Third-party companies have varying timelines; some projects proceed on schedule, while others take longer,” he remarked. He stressed the importance of thoroughness, stating, “The key is to ensure the audit is done properly and that its findings are actionable.”

The audit process will include evaluating current physical security infrastructure, identifying vulnerabilities, and providing recommendations. Key areas of focus include access control systems, surveillance infrastructure, emergency communication systems and compliance with industry standards.

In a letter to students, Brandon University president David Docherty reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to safety.

“A full safety audit will illuminate the paths we must take to improve security, but we are not waiting for the audit’s conclusion to act,” Docherty wrote. “We hope the firm conducting the audit will provide interim recommendations that we can act on immediately,”

Among the immediate measures are the expansion of the Safewalk program, which provides escorted walks across campus, and clearer building access protocols. Evening exam schedules, free parking after 4:30 p.m., and plans for enhanced campus signage are also being implemented, the letter stated.

Srivastava added campus safety is not just a local issue but a province-wide concern. He pointed to recent security enhancements at the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg and Red River College as evidence of a broader need for collaboration.

“This is an opportunity for Manitoba’s universities to share best practices and develop collective action plans to improve safety for all,” he said. “We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the audit and the measures that will make Brandon University and the surrounding Westman region safer for everyone.”

Proposals for the safety audit are due on Dec. 20.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola