Fort Hays State reports steady campus safety, expands training and security measures

At the March meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents governance committee, Fort Hays State University officials gave the committee an update on campus safety, training and Title IX compliance.

University and campus police leaders said there were no troubling crime trends to report for the most recent Clery statistics and described several ongoing security and training initiatives aimed at prevention and preparedness.

Chief Terry Pierce said, “Nothing very significant to report here at Fort Hays State. No troubling trends or anything like that. No major security events to speak of.” He told the committee the university continues to authorize alcohol sales at home football games with enhanced security staffing provided by university police and a private vendor contracted by Athletics.

Pierce said the university is updating card-key access across campus buildings; the Forsyth Library is under major renovation and will receive card access when renovations are complete. Residence halls, student service facilities and maintenance facilities are being brought online with card access now. He described an ongoing safety-walk program with the Student Government Association (SGA) that identifies lighting and camera needs and said some parking-lot cameras have already been installed with more planned.

Pierce described a pilot to add classroom door-locking hardware in a major academic building at the request of the faculty senate. He said the university added a quality assurance/quality control position focused on residence-hall issues (the position was approved but not yet filled) and continues regular inspections with state inspectors for elevators, fire systems, boilers and hazardous waste.

Pierce outlined recent tabletop exercises and training: a TEEX (Texas A&M University Extension) tabletop in August, a January exercise on campus protests that included consultation with University of Kansas consultant Tamara Durham, and plans for a severe-weather tabletop before the end of the semester. He said the university is updating internal NIMS and ICS training for its critical incident group and expanding coordination with Ellis County emergency response partners.

University Police provides active-shooter and drug-awareness training for residence-hall staff twice a year and has started a new active-shooter training program that pairs university sessions with combat lifesaving instruction from a faculty member. Pierce said the active-shooter training has been offered as professional development to faculty and staff “at least 2 or 3 times now,” is available on the university website, but has not been made mandatory.

Laurie Larek, the university’s Title IX and compliance officer, summarized about six months on the job and her work with other Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) schools. Larek said the campus has had zero live Title IX hearings and has used informal resolution frequently to avoid escalation. She said the university is implementing the Stop Campus Hazing Act requirements, with policy updates due in June and related staff, student and faculty training planned. Larek also said she meets weekly with the prior compliance officer (who remains on campus to assist) and has joined the county sexual-assault response team (SART) to coordinate community resources.

Committee members asked what the tabletop exercises had shown; Pierce said they reinforced the need to involve community partners — local fire, EMS and emergency management — and to understand how partner agencies will operate on campus. Committee members and staff emphasized that prolonged campus disruptions can last days and that planning for staffing relief and sustained coordination is important.

The report concluded with committee thanks for the university’s collaborative work on campus safety, training and student support.