Barnard CollegeHealth & Safety Summary

Written by Megan Cloud

Megan Cloud

Hometown

Ft. Worth, Texas

Major

Psychology

View all previous student authors

Most students have never had specific dealings with the campus security, but they all know where to go should they ever need them. Barnard's security is very visible, which probably one of the greatest reasons that there`s so little crime in the area, at least as it pertains to Barnard students on campus. There are security guards at every entrance into Barnard and at three other booths along side streets where Barnard dorms are located. There are also desk attendants in all of the dorms who must check for Barnard or Columbia ID before they allow you to enter the building, or if you have a visitor, the desk attendant must sign them in and keep their ID until they leave. Aside from the visibility of Barnard security, they also provide an escort service that will drive students between dorms, or to different ends of campus if they ever feel unsafe walking around campus late at night. Most students haven't even used this service, but it's always comforting to know that it's there. Most people know when they come to Barnard that the campus isn't located in the best part of town, but once school starts, very few feel concerned about their safety while on campus.

The only place that security loses points is that their role on campus is not clearly defined. Many students are not sure which incidents fall under the responsibility of campus security and which are the responsibility of city police. While the security officers are able to escort suspicious people off of campus, they have no authority to detain anyone as the police can. They also aren't able to do anything legally if something is stolen. Again, Barnard security is very good at creating a safe-feeling atmosphere for students to live and study in, but beyond that, they really don't do much more.