Campus Update from Provost and Executive Vice President Loppnow
 Don Loppnow |
There are two important issues I’d like to share with you. The first one deals with appropriations. As you know, the state has been facing difficult budget circumstances, which significantly impacted universities, including Eastern Michigan. Despite this situation, we are pleased that EMU will receive a 1.1 percent increase in appropriations this year. This means Eastern Michigan receives an additional $818,700 from the Legislature.
As part of our commitment to academics and in the spirit of “Education First,” I am allocating $600,000 of the $818,700 increase to several academic initiatives. These include the following:
- $125,000 allocated for Supplies, Services & Materials (SS&M) in academic areas with strategic needs;
- $260,000 for the adjunct lecturer budget for course sections;
- $103,000 for NCATE reaccreditation of the Education Unit;
- $112,000 for special projects that
include Smart Classroom support, University
Library (copyright compliance), centralized
classroom scheduling (implement Series
25) and reorganizing and strengthening
Writing Center Services.
The remaining $218,700 will not be allocated
until we know winter term enrollment and
have a clearer picture of fiscal implications.
The second issue is about safety and security
on campus. Recently
there have been a number of thefts occurring in the residence
halls. The Department of Public Safety has collected
data on incident trends, and they show an increase in thefts
of laptops and electronic items, especially in the First
Year Center residence halls. The
second trend has to do with thefts in parking
lots, especially hang tags and catalytic
converters from GM vehicles.
Safety and security are priorities at
EMU and I’d
like to update you on a number of improvements
currently being implemented.
- Hiring a security firm that began last Thursday night. These security guards, who will complement coverage by our police, are assigned to residence hall areas and academic buildings.
- We have increased staff for the SEEUS service, the student-based escort system, and have expanded coverage to include Saturdays. SEEUS is now available seven days a week. While on their rounds, the SEEUS staff also remains on alert for suspicious activity.
- The Housing Nightwatch hours will be extended to 10 p.m. – 4 a.m., seven days a week. The Nightwatch student staff verifies student identification at the front door of residence halls.
- The Gotcha program continues in residence halls, which is a joint effort between housing and public safety. During this program, if a Gotcha team comes across an unlocked door and the room is empty, the team secures the door and leaves a card warning the student to lock the door and secure valuables. Public safety will soon expand this program to the academic buildings.
- We are adding additional security cameras outside Wise Hall and Pray-Harrold. The Physical Plant also has changed the doors that lead from every floor into the end stairwells to lock upon closure. This was done after consultation with the Fire Department and our Department of Public Safety.
- We also are developing more detailed procedures for alerting the community when incidents fall into a gray area as to whether a timely warning should be sent.
- The TranSystems Corporation will conduct a safety audit, which will provide us with valuable information for additional improvements.
- The search for a new executive director of public safety has attracted a well-qualified pool of candidates. We anticipate the new director starting in January.
I always welcome your comments and suggestions, and will update you as we continue to improve our safety and security procedures.
Sincerely,
Don Loppnow
Provost and Executive Vice President