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Statewide campus safety assessments find uneven policies and infrastructure; NCBRT to deliver building‑level data and training
Summary
The LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training reported to the Board of Regents on a year‑long campus safety assessment that found strong institutional commitment to safety alongside gaps in formal policies, camera and access governance, staffing and emergency communications.
The Board of Regents heard an update on a statewide campus safety assessment project conducted by the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT). The project visited every public campus in Louisiana and assessed emergency plans, physical buildings, lighting, staffing and training.
Jerry Monnier, NCBRT associate director, and his team described the project’s methodology and preliminary findings. The team completed building‑level walk‑throughs, evening lighting surveys and structured interviews with campus faculty, staff and students. Monnier said the project team physically visited “every public institution of higher education in Louisiana, including main campuses, satellite locations, and specialized research facilities.”
NCBRT identified consistent strengths — clear statewide commitment and many campuses with modern physical security technologies — and recurring gaps. The most prominent gaps were a lack of formalized public‑safety policy and governance at institutional and system levels, inconsistent camera and building access policies and limited maintenance plans for lighting infrastructure. Monnier recommended the creation of a unified public‑safety vision for the higher education system, baseline policy templates and a camera working group.
NCBRT said emergency notification apps exist on every campus but usage and familiarity are low; email and text alerts remain the most effective channels. The team also found staffing and recruitment challenges for campus police departments and recommended training on exercises, emergency operations planning and behavioral intervention teams.
NCBRT said it will submit a comprehensive report to Regents within 60 days, provide a web‑based application populated with building‑level assessment data, and offer up to 11 regional trainings targeted to gaps identified during the reviews. Regents thanked the NCBRT team and requested follow‑up on policy templates and training schedules.
