Do you feel safe on campus? UBC's Personal Security Co-ordinator's Office wants to know.
Using the Personal Security Mapping Survey the office aims to find exactly where people on campus feel safe and where they do not.
"We want to find out where the hot spots are," says Johannes Schumann, a UBC Geography graduate and the project's co-ordinator. "Getting specific information will help us prioritize how limited funds are spent on lighting, security and other safety measures."
Questions include opinions on nighttime and daytime safety, self-protection measures and demographic information.
Respondents mark areas on a map where they feel safe or at risk and supply reasons for their choices. They can also offer suggestions for personal security improvements. Responses are anonymous.
"This is a bottom-up approach that allows the people who use the campus some input into the decision-making process," says Schumann. He and Sociology work-study student Daphne Hamilton-Nagorsen have distributed the three-page survey to about 2,000 individuals on campus. Distribution continues at residences, libraries, student organizations and campus recreational facilities.
The pair will start analysing the quantitative data in mid-March. Results will be posted on the Personal Security Co-ordinator's Web site in May.
A joint project of the Office of the Personal Security Co-ordinator, situated within the Dept. of Health, Safety and Environment, and Campus Planning and Development, the survey is funded by the Alma Mater Society Innovative Projects Fund.
Individuals wishing to participate in the survey can print a copy off the Personal Security Web site at www.safety.ubc.ca. (Click on the personal security section). The deadline to complete the survey is March 15.
more information
If you have questions about personal security at UBC, call the Personal Security
Co-ordinator's Office at 604-822-6210.