Safety At Purdue

I am the only girl and the youngest of my parents’ three kids. As a result, my parents have always been very protective of me, but I know it just because they love me. They want what is best for me and to be in an environment where I could thrive, having peace of mind that I would be taken care of wherever I was. With recent tragic events calling into question the safety of college campuses, it has really made me appreciate the fact that Purdue was recently named the safest campus in the United States. Of course, it’s always best practice to practice safety habits such as walking in groups, carrying pepper spray, and my dad’s favorite “keeping your head on a swivel”. However, between the campus culture, resources, and policies in place surrounding matters of safety, it comes to no surprise to me that Purdue comes in on top in this category.

Why Safety is Important

When our basic safety is threatened, it becomes very difficult to focus on anything else. If you are constantly looking over your shoulder or in a state of dis-ease, you don’t feel like you can do much else until the danger is gone. Fear is distracting and takes away from opportunities to reach your greatest potential. College is a time where you should be in an environment that nurtures both academic and personal learning. It should be a controlled and safe place for you to take risks that push you to grow. A safe campus helps maintain the order required for this type of environment to exist. Going about my daily life, I get to focus on my learning, building relationships with others, or going for a run around campus for my health without feeling like my safety is threatened. I get to do the things that help me enjoy my life.

Campus Safety Resources

One of the biggest advantages of going to a large institution such as Purdue is the amount of resources this university has for its students. For safety resources specifically, Purdue has invested significantly into programming and infrastructure for students to have access to these kinds of resources. All around campus, there are “blue-light boxes” which are emergency telephone systems. These are designed for any person on our campus who may feel threatened to use in case of emergency and be met by personnel as quickly as possible to mitigate the situation. Purdue has a Safe Walk program where anyone part of the Purdue community can call their number– which is 765 494-SAFE (7233) – and a member of the Purdue Student Security Patrol will escort them to their final destination. We have a police station and an EMT station on our campus, so any emergencies are addressed quickly should any arise. This year, the counseling and psychological services (CAPS) program saw a 27% increase in funding from the university to expand the availability of mental health resources for students. In addition to CAPS, Purdue’s Center for Advocacy, Response, and Education (CARE) serves any student in need of support after an incident or who wants to learn more about preventative resources. All of these resources help maintain the health, well-being, and safety of the student body. This is also just the tip of the iceberg of all the resources Purdue has for these matters.

Culture of Safety

One of the things I always pride myself on being a Boilermaker is the Purdue community. At Purdue, students, faculty, and staff care about each other. We all want each other to succeed and have a fulfilling college experience, so we look out for one another. From my own experiences and what I have observed from the past four years, students take clear notice if something seems out of place or a sticky situation arises. They speak up if they see that someone else is headed into a bad situation. The majority of students I have interacted with tend to be responsible and take action to mitigate the negative consequences of these situations. With everyone always looking out for one another, Purdue’s campus culture helps to foster an environment in which everyone can feel safe.

My Parents’ Perspective

When I knew I was going to write this blog post, I thought it would be interesting to get my parents’ perspective on Purdue’s safety ranking and what it means to them. My dad, a safety engineer, said that knowing I would be going to a safe school meant peace of mind. He said, “I didn’t have to worry about you late at night and that you were taken care of, both by your peers and your school.” My mom’s response was similar in that, “...whatever you were doing at whatever time of day, I knew you’d be fine. As long as you are also being responsible, safety wasn’t something I felt like I was concerned over. The fact I didn’t even have to think about it goes to show the level of trust we have in the safety of the campus.” Every parent deserves to feel this way when sending their kids off to school. I have peace of mind knowing that because they are not worried about me, therefore I do not need to be worried myself.


Something important to understand is the idea that you cannot completely eliminate the chances for bad things to happen. Still, you can do everything in your power to minimize the likelihood of an incident to occur. Tragedy can strike unexpectedly, even if you are completely prepared. Living your life in constant fear of an unlikely outcome is no way to live. College is a critical time for young adults to learn how to interact with the “real” world in a controlled environment where they can learn the skills needed to navigate it successfully. Between the resources and our culture, Purdue continues to be a leading environment in safety for students to thrive.

Becca Jennings, MSE '24

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