Clark State Community College has been named as one of three finalists for the 2017 American Association of Community College (AACC) Safety, Planning and Leadership Award of Excellence.
“In order to highlight safety initiatives on campus, Clark State applied for the Community College Safety Planning and Leadership award,” said Taylor Bugglin, grants writer with Clark State.
Safety is a top priority for Clark State. The College is constantly working to improve safety and security on its campuses. Clark State had no crimes in 2015, as reported for the 2015 Jeanne Clery Annual Campus Security Report. The College strives to continue to keep crime low while training its faculty and staff to react to potential emergency situations.
A team comprised of Bugglin, Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin and Clark State Risk Management Coordinator Tom Duffee compiled the necessary documentation to support the award application, including support letters from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield City Police Division, Project Woman and Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett.
“Clark State has focused tirelessly on the safety and security of our students, employees, visitors and campuses,” said Blondin. “Without the support of the Governor and the Ohio legislature through the capital bill, these efforts would not have been as comprehensive and sustainable. We owe them a huge thank you for their support.”
The criteria for innovation in Safety, Planning and Leadership as outlined by AACC include:
- College leadership has demonstrated commitment to developing safety training programs and developing leaders capable of handling safety issues.
- College has a plan for addressing safety issues as part of its ongoing programs and operations.
- College has integrated and regularly evaluates appropriate and safe use of equipment and materials in operations and programs to ensure that faculty and students operate in a safe environment.
- College provides information to students and faculty related to safety and response importance and plans.
- College has incorporated safety-related training and associated industry-recognized credentials related to safety, preparedness, and response occupations into college operations and program delivery.
- College has instituted specific programs and services to increase employee safety awareness and response.
“Each college’s application is reviewed against the criteria for the award, and assigned a score for each category,” said Dr. Angel Royal, chief of staff for AACC. “Those colleges with the highest scores move on to become finalists. The AACC staff narrows applications down, and a committee of the Board of Directors selects the winners.”
All finalists will be recognized, and the winner will be announced at the 97th Annual Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, April 24.