The "Invisible" Wall: Why Campus Silos Are a Security Risk
In higher education, the most significant risk lies within the gap between the Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Public Safety.
Traditionally, these two vital functions share the same goal, having the student in mind, but approach it a little differently. Student Affairs focuses on behavioral intervention, mental health, and conduct code violations. Public Safety focuses on physical security, enforcement, and crime prevention.
While this separation may make sense from an operations standpoint, it creates a structural vulnerability I call “Missing Connecting the Dots”.
Missed Warning
When we complete an after-action review of an incident, the warning signs are there; they are simply scattered like the dots I mentioned.
A student in crisis leaves breadcrumbs within the institution, but because departments operate in silos, no single entity possesses the "whole picture."
Residential Life may handle a roommate dispute without further investigation.
Counseling Services may be managing the student’s distressed situation.
Faculty may see a sudden drop in attendance or alarming essays.
Public Safety may have a record of a minor off-campus interaction that does not require further follow-up.
None of these individually triggers a high-level alert. But connecting the dots forms a clear pattern of escalation. If these departments do not talk, the institution remains blind to the threat until the student crosses the threshold from "troubled" to "higher risk."
The CARE Team Model
During my tenure leading Public Safety at Temple University, managing a complex urban environment required us to close these gaps immediately. We recognized that relying on informal, ad-hoc communication was insufficient for a population of our size.
I was very fortunate to partner with a highly talented, collaborative team from across the campus community.
We moved from reactive updates to a proactive infrastructure by establishing the CARE Team (Crisis Assessment Response and Education).
The objective was clear: formalize the review of potential crisis cases through a multidisciplinary lens. We brought the necessary stakeholders to one table—Public Safety, Student Affairs, Legal Counsel, and Counseling Services.
This wasn't just about sharing files; it was about translation.
A Dean views a student's outburst through a conduct lens.
I viewed it through a threat assessment and safety lens.
By maintaining close, weekly meetings, we converted isolated behaviors into actionable intervention plans. This allowed us to help students get the resources they needed before law enforcement action became necessary.
In my department, we shifted our mindset from reactive to proactive when working with student behavior.
The Mitigation Impact
For University Executives, eliminating silos is not just a safety strategy; it is a liability mitigation strategy. To build true resilience, leadership must mandate this level of integration:
1. Formalize the Meeting Process
Casual relationships do not drive safety; systems and processes do. Teams must meet weekly—not just post-crisis—to review ongoing cases. This ensures working in tandem and not missing a critical piece of information.
2. Reinforcing Inclusive Protocols
We must move beyond clicking the forward tab of an email. When a student is identified as a risk, there must be a protocol for a deeper dive into the information with an understanding of the context and gravity of the behavior.
A trust is built between the team members. When one team member initiates a concern, the others respond with support and an openness to listen to the issue at hand.
The Bottom Line
We cannot rely on cameras, locks, and other technology alone to keep our campuses safe. We must build a culture of open dialogue with critical stakeholders where sharing information to protect the community comes before any departmental divides.
Communication is paramount in protecting people.
Key Takeaway
Executive Action Item: Does your institution have a formal, multidisciplinary Threat Assessment Team that meets weekly? If not, you are seeing only half the risk picture.
