Una Ranked One Of The Safest Campuses In The Country
Jul. 23, 2015
Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033
By Bryan Rachal, University Communications
FLORENCE, Ala. - When it comes to a safe campus, the University of North Alabama is one of the best in the state and one of the best in the country. BestColleges.com recently released a list of the 50 safest college campuses in the country and UNA made the list. UNA was one of only two Alabama schools listed in the top 50.
BestColleges.com compiled the list using the latest information from the IPEDS and College Navigator databases, both of which are sources maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. The most recent set of data is for the 2011-2012 school year, though some individual data points reflect the 2012-2013 school year.
Dr. Ken Kitts, UNA President, said it's the University's goal to make this type of list. "We are pleased to find ourselves listed as one of the 50 safest college campuses in America. At the same time, this news is not surprising to us. We take campus safety very seriously and are intentional about taking steps to eliminate threats and provide students with a wonderful learning opportunity."
According to BestColleges.com, some of the things that set UNA apart include excellent alert services for students via LionAlert; the department also offers an emergency notification system via Nixle for parents and local community members. In addition to comprehensive patrol plans and security measures such as key-card entry, surveillance and emergency phones throughout campus, the department provides a variety of training sessions; these include the ALICE active shooter survival training and rape aggression defense courses.
Kevin Gillilan, UNA chief of police, said being recognized as one of the safest campuses is a very prestigious achievement. "The UNA Police Department takes pride in providing a safe atmosphere for our students, faculty and staff. It is our goal to continually enhance campus safety and our relationships within the campus community," he said.
"In an effort to improve our physical security, we have recently completed an upgrade to surveillance equipment in our parking deck, residence halls and science building. We will continue to assess the quality of programs, policies and technology utilized by our department and are strategically planning for the future," said Gillilan.
In recent years, the government passed the Clery Act, which requires universities to publicly post annual reports detailing any crime or fire incidents over the previous year. Overwhelmingly, the most common criminal offenses on college campuses today are sexual assault, theft and burglary.
To view the full list of the 50 Safest College Campuses from BestColleges.com visit: http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/safest-college-campuses/
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and Nursing. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA also operates a renowned collegiate athletic program in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin.