Back to School

Back to School

AS THE SUMMER HAS COME TO AN END, CLASSES ARE MOST LIKELY BACK IN SESSION AND STUDENTS ARE ALREADY SETTLING BACK INTO THE NEW ROUTINE. AND FOR SUPERINTENDENTS, SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS AND CAMPUS SECURITY TEAMS, KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY.

For that back to school excitement, the University of Central Florida has an amazing security team who strives to keep everyone safe while on their campus—which is no easy feat considering the size of the university and the large amount of students who are on campus every single day. Joseph Souza is the assistant director of security for UCF, and he also wrote our cover story. He discusses the challenges, successes and always changing needs for keeping students safe while they’re there for classes or attending an event such as a football game. It’s a compelling story, and one you’ll definitely want to check out.

For parents sending their kids off to school, whether it’s K-12 or college, knowing that there are people working hard to keep your kids safe offers some peace of mind.

This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Campus Security Today.

About the Author

Lindsay Page is the editor for Campus Security & Life Safety magazine, and the senior editor for Security Today.

Featured

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

  • How Composable Security Technologies Fortify Campus Safety

    Campus security teams have faced myriad risks threatening the safety and well-being of students and faculty this semester. Leaders have made tough tradeoffs about where to focus and how to channel limited resources to best protect their communities — but they now have a much-needed lift to their toolkit. Read Now

  • How Emerging Technologies are Transforming the School Security Landscape

    Students can't focus on learning when they're worried about their safety. As education systems nationwide face evolving security challenges with limited resources, a new generation of integrated technology solutions is helping schools create safer environments while maximizing staff efficiency. Read Now

  • How to Harness ALPR for Greater Security Efficiency and Collaboration

    Within higher education campus environments, the demand for greater security, efficiency, and resources is ever-present. Many higher education teams are adopting advanced technologies to secure their campus, streamline operations, and continue to best serve their students and faculty. Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology stands out for its ability to meet a wide range of campus objectives. Read Now