Missouri Southern State University College Portrait

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36% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
26% of all undergraduates live on campus

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Performing directed and random patrols on campus In an attempt to reduce fear/apprehension of crime on campus, DPS Officers will provide a visible presence to help promote an atmosphere of safety for students, faculty/staff and all visitors. Answering calls for service DPS Officers will respond to calls for service on campus, i.e., disturbance, trespassing, property destruction, theft, accident, etc. They will intervene in disturbances and investigate reported crime on campus. They will contact emergency services when needed and (since becoming a campus police department in March of 2008) commissioned officers will investigate all criminal activity, including submitting cases to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s office for the filing of charges. In addition to police functions, the officers are trained as first responders to deal with injuries and/or serious illness on campus through training in basic first aid, CPR and the use of the Automatic External Defibrillator. Compiling reports for incidents and accidents DPS Officers will compile reports documenting crimes, significant occurrences, accidents, etc. that occur on campus. Copies of those reports are available at the DPS Office at no charge. Enforcing all traffic and parking regulations on campus In order to assure that handicapped persons have adequate parking, that emergency personnel have access and to facilitate safety and order on campus, DPS Officers will enforce all traffic and parking regulations on campus. Campus police officers may also enforce all Missouri State Statutes on campus. Providing security for sports events, concerts etc., on campus DPS Officers provide security services at events on campus to insure that participants can enjoy the events with little concern for disruptions. Checking buildings to insure that they are secure In addition to the various other duties, DPS Officers check to insure that buildings are properly locked in the evening hours. They also unlock doors to allow access for authorized persons entering buildings in the early morning hours and on weekends. Monitoring activities in the Residence Halls To insure the safety of all students and Student Advisors in the Residence Halls, DPS Officers are on duty during the midnight hours to watch for unauthorized persons and to enforce the rules of the Residence Halls. DPS Officers are committed to making sure the campus remains free from drugs/alcohol and violence. Providing courtesy services for students DPS Officers provide many courtesy services for students and faculty/staff, i.e., unlocking cars, jump starts, escorts, etc. Any student or faculty/staff member are encouraged to contact a DPS Officer with any problem and they will directly assist or direct the person to the agency/service who can provide the assistance. Fire Safety and Hazardous Materials A fire Safety / Haz Mat officer is responsible for gathering and disposing of all biological and chemical hazardous materials on campus. He is also responsible for the inspection and maintenance of fire suppression items on campus. Providing Timely Warnings The Clery Act requires a timely warning to be given to the campus community in certain instances. In accordance with the act, the MSSU DPS will issue a crime alert in a timely manner for on-going threats to safety and to aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Specifically, these crimes will include situations that are reported to the DPS and that are considered serious or continuing threats to the campus population. Warnings will be communicated via text messages (Rave system), e-mails, posted notices, and/or media sources at the discretion of the Director of the Department of Public Safety. Providing safety information to students DPS Officers provide literature regarding ways to be safe on and off campus, as well as how to keep property from being stolen. Those types of materials can be picked up at the DPS Office at the West end of the campus. DPS Officers are also available to address classrooms or groups about a number of topics including: Avoiding date rape/date rape drugs, target hardening for property, personal safety, dangers of drugs and alcohol, etc. To schedule a presentation, or to ask question about the Department of Public Safety, please contact the DPS Director (Campus Police Chief) at 417.625.9741.

Campus Crime Statistics

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The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

Basic Type

Baccalaureate Colleges--Diverse Fields

Size and Setting

Medium four-year, primarily nonresidential

Enrollment Profile

Very high undergraduate

Undergraduate Profile

Medium full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in

Undergraduate Instructional Program

Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence

Graduate Instructional Program

Postbaccalaureate with arts & sciences (education dominant)

NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2010 edition.

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