Campus safety is a partnership between students, administration, faculty, employees and the broader community. Our Campus Safety Audit process invigorates partnerships to improve the safety track record of campuses, from those in urban centres to rural areas to distance/online learning programs.
Key factors explored
Physical factors, sexual violence, discriminatory behaviour, access, practices and policies
Approach
We combine best practices of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) with a gender-based violence analysis, social ecological model, community development approaches and other proven methodologies. We also start with a “High Risk First” approach, considering needs of those statistically at highest risk of violence. We attend to violence often missed in other assessments and incorporate exclusion factors as barriers to safety and belonging.
Where our audit has worked
Campus safety stories
“The audit created safe spaces for tangible solutions to be drawn out to create a safer campus community through supported students, faculty, staff and community members in ensuring that all voices were heard throughout the process … I believe METRAC is a true agent of change, that every post-secondary institution should have on their campus.” (Livy Visano, York University Safety Audit Committee Chair)
“The METRAC Safety Audit Process is the only comprehensive program that analyzes every aspect of the community being audited in a participatory, inclusive way that involves all community stakeholders including students, staff and faculty.” (Lauren Snowball, Campaigns Coordinator, Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario)
“Centennial College has used METRAC services for close to 20 years … We also find their reference material on stalking, personal safety planning and women’s safety issues extremely valuable and have the material available to our community.” (Ron White, Manager, Life Safety and Security Services, Planning and Operations, Centennial College)