Cumberlands listed one of safest colleges nationwide

The safety of a college matters. In a time when crime seems to be on the rise, safety has understandably become a major concern for prospective college students and their parents.

In recent years, University of the Cumberlands initiated additional measures to improve security on campus. It seems the efforts have made an impact, as the school was recently mentioned as one of the safest college campuses nationwide in a blog posted by Nuwber Research. The information reported is based upon data collected and released by the U.S. Department of Education. 

A separate ranking by safety experts at Your Local Security named Cumberlands the safest college campus in Kentucky, fourth-safest in the nation in the fall. Other sites list Cumberlands in the top three percent of safest college campuses nationwide.

“If a school is truly committed to its students – to helping its young people succeed in all facets of life – then it will do all it can to meet the basic need of student safety,” said Dr. Emily Coleman, Vice President of Student Services at Cumberlands. “The leadership at Cumberlands has done what it can to provide a safe environment for our students to thrive. We’re glad to see those efforts making a positive impact across campus.”

What are “those efforts” the University has implemented? Cumberlands’ security force has traversed campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for years, and continues to do so. More recently, additional light posts were installed across campus to help ensure safety at night. In May 2018, members of the Williamsburg Police Department were welcomed onto campus as an extra precaution. All Cumberlands students and employees are currently required to complete a Title IX course which educates the campus community on what proper conduct with classmates and colleagues looks like, as well as inform them what to do if any improper behavior is observed.

All measures are in place to handle offenses when they arise, but also to promote an attitude of respect and accountability campus-wide, which may help prevent improper behavior from occurring in the first place.

“It’s easier to pursue excellence when you live on a safe campus,” said Coleman. “While we acknowledge that no university is perfect, it is our hope that Cumberlands is a place where students possess the peace of mind necessary for them to grow intellectually, spiritually, and creatively.”

It’s a new day and a new decade. Together with the police and security forces on campus, University leadership is hopeful for another year as one of the safest college campuses in the U.S.