Crime on campus

 

by Omesh Jagarnath & Mfezi Mjwara

Introduction

Crime in South African institutions of Higher Education is a notable fact, which often stems from the high crime rates within the country, thereby filtering into universities and colleges of education.

Although many would perceive the university institutions as being a safe environment where education is the common language for everyone, it is an inevitable fact that students often become victims of crime within the campuses or even in their own residences.

This is very traumatizing not only to the victims but also to parents who now have to worry about their children residing in a so called “safe environment” far away from home.

However, many Universities are faced with a tremendous challenge of maintaining safety and security on campuses. This is especially because of the diversity of the campus environment, with multiple buildings and lecture halls spread out over the campus terrain. Some of the lecture venues and residences are very secluded and isolated, thereby providing an ideal environment for criminals to operate.

 

Safety and Security

So, what is meant by Safety and Security?

Here are a few definitions:

•     Safety is the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, loss to a person or violation including vandalism of an organization’s property/facilities. 
•   Security refers to protection of a person, building, organization or institution against threats such as crime.

Risk management are those policies and plans that address matters such as organizational or institutional issues & serious events caused by safety or security violations, and protection from liability.

Campus Safety & Security is a service provided by security personnel on campus, catering for all students, staff, alumni and visitors – the ultimate goal being to ensure a safe, harmless and conducive environment for all personnel on university property. 

Universities have a moral responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of both staff and students entering the campus. This responsibility also extends to University residences as well as students utilizing University shuttle services to and from campuses and residences.

Recently, there has been alarming reports of the escalating rate of crime incidents taking place nationwide in Institutions of Higher Learning. Measures such as access control; checking of ID cards; visible presence of security personnel in both residences and buildings such as libraries, key “hot spot” areas, etc. should be in place to control and monitor criminal activities.

Security personnel on campus are under pressure to provide effective security in order to ensure a safe environment for staff and students. The reason for this is when higher institutions fail to provide safety, students get discouraged from attending such institutions and parents become reluctant to send their children to an unsafe environment to learn. Campus crimes affects the image of institutions, as well as the security officers’ jobs; thereby undermining the quality of learning and students’ activities on campuses (Sewpersad & Van Jaarsveld :47).

 

One of the main issues facing tertiary institutions is managing student access, i.e., who goes where and when. This applies to both campus as a whole and to residences.

Campuses have easy access, open at all hours which often allows criminals to come and go and remain unnoticed (Sewpersad & Van Jaarsveld :47).

In institutions where 24/7 access to facilities is available, such as University LANS and Libraries, safety and security becomes even more of a concern and a necessity. Many students prefer to use these facilities after hours, due to the peace and quiet - hence walking to and from their residences as well as being in these physical spaces should give them peace of mind to work in a safe and secure environment without worrying about having their possessions stolen or being mugged.

These facilities should not only have the necessary access control measures in place, but also a security officer stationed at the entrances to monitor and check student cards, especially after hours and report or apprehend suspicious looking individuals.

 

Most common examples of crimes in University institutions include:

•        Theft inside university premises (computers, identities, books, etc.)
•     Cellphone and laptop robberies at gun point.
•      Car remote jamming in parking areas.
•     Verbal and sexual assaults.
•    Cyber-crime (ATM jamming, scamming, frauds, hacking, online drug trafficking, cyber bullying and software piracy).
•     Forced entry, alcohol & drug abuse.

Who is targeted in these crimes?

       ·   Students more especially first year students ~ Female Staff members

•      Disabled students are easy targets ~ Delivery guys (food or university facilities)
•        University visitors ~ Alumni 

The University of KwaZulu Natal and Risk Management Services (RMS) is making a move and taking steps daily in the fight to protecting not only the University facilities but also improving student safety and the University security system, including cyber-crime. https://rms.ukzn.ac.za/

Tips for students & staff to avoid falling victim to crime

Safety tips for students’ in residences:

•        Always lock your residence door, even when you are in the room.
•        Residence hall doors must be secure at all times. If you find someone has propped a door open, remove the barricade and secure the door.
•        Report suspicious persons you may see in residence or office corridors.
•        Never open your door to strangers.
•         If you have lost your residence key, report it immediately and have the locks changed.
•         Don’t keep residence and vehicle keys on the same keyring and never disclose your address on your keyring.
•         Preferably keep all valuables, including cash, locked in a safe.

Safety tips for students & staff on campus:

•        Always walk in groups at night. 
•        Call RMS to organise a security guard to escort you.
•        Make sure your valuables are not visible.
•        Avoid taking routes which are dark and too quiet.
•        Do not give attention to strangers at night even if they tell you they are students.
•        Make sure you park in an open area where there are CCTVs.
•        Double check to see if your car is locked when parked.
•        Always look around to see if there’s any suspicious eyes around you when parking.
•        Report any suspicious act you see on-campus.
•        Try by all means not to leave your belongings unattended.
•        Keep away from campus premises when there is a strike.

 

Crime prevention strategies utilized at the University of KwaZulu Natal campuses, Libraries and students Residences

 https://ukzn.ac.za/safety-and-security-programmes/

University Security- Security personnel undergo seasonal workshops and training sessions in order to be well trained and keep up with the latest crimes.

Students access cards that allow students entry into the necessary buildings but restrict access for an unidentified person.

Visitors cards- Is for use by university alumni or visitors which grants them access the university as well as to utilize university facilities. 

Access control- Turnstiles / access control gates are installed in all UKZN Libraries, computer lab’s, theatres, departments and University entrances.

24/7 CCTV- Majority of the UKZN premises in and out is fitted with video surveillance which allows monitoring of students as well as to identify potential crime activities.

Awareness campaigns – A series of workshops as well as campaigns are held throughout the year in combating crime and enforcing a safe and secured university community.

UKZN RMS & SAPS – Work hand in hand in fighting crime in and around campus.

Conclusion

Safety and Security at Institutions of Higher Education is the responsibility of all individuals and stakeholders. This means that we should not only rely on the security personnel but all students, staff and management should take the initiative as well. We all need to understand the necessity and importance of creating a crime free and conducive University community. Hence, always remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviors to the security personnel.

 

FOR FURTHER READINGS:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/07/15/eight-student-safety-concerns-and-how-colleges-can-help-infographic

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537696.pdf

https://theconversation.com/students-more-at-risk-of-crime-than-public-universities-must-rethink-how-to-keep-them-safe-52620

https://www.getkisi.com/guides/campus-safety-and-security

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200824172935293

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2022.2110199

https://boksburgadvertiser.co.za/461598/ways-university-students-can-master-crime-prevention/

https://www.saferspaces.org.za/understand/entry/crime-in-institutions-of-higher-learning

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2022.2110199 - University campuses and types of crime: a case study of the university of KwaZulu Natal/Howard campus in the city of Durban-South Africa / Sazelo Mkhize, Samuel Fikiri Cinni,  Slindile Ngcece. Published online August 2022.

Sewpersad, S. and Van Jaarsveld, L. 2012: Campus security and safety: incorporating new technology to an old paradigm of guarding. Acta Criminologica:  Southern African Journal of Criminology, CRIMSA 2011 Conference Special Edition No. 1, 2012. p. 46-55.

 

 

 

 

 

Issues & Returns - New Circulation Desk at EGM Library

By Omesh Jagarnath

Libraries are constantly evolving to meet the needs of its users in an effort to provide an efficient and excellent service to its patrons. Hence, the re-configuring of space to improve both security (of staff and student library assistants who are employed in the evenings), as well as academic reserve books and ensuring a centralised service point for users, is something that has been under discussion for many months.

 At the EGM library, Howard College Campus, an existing space, namely the old Research Commons, was identified by the space committee and in consultation with the circulation staff, this space was seen as ideal for reconfiguration.

The existing infrastructure was already in place, namely an enclosed glass partition with swipe access. Work on this new space commenced in November 2019 with the removal of the old furniture and computers, while a contractor was called to reconfigure the glass to create a window like opening for the counter on both sides of the room.

 

WINDOW LIKE OPENING

Work on reconfiguring the interior and creating the Issue and Return counters began in early December 2019. As there was no budget for the project, library staff took it upon themselves to purchase material for this space.

Mr Richard Goodall, a jack of all trades, decided to put his carpentry skills to good use.

Taking Shape

Staff Workstations

                                                                                                                                          

It has taken hours of labour and planning to ensure that the work done is professional and attractive. The above pictures shows the staff workstations being configured.

Completion – Service Point for Library Users - View from the outside

It has taken almost two and half months to complete the configuration with minor alterations and final touches added as we go along. Staff moved into the new space on the 13^th February 2020.

There has been a lot of positive comments from some academics who were amazed by the quality of the workmanship, so all credit goes to Mr Goodall.

“Pay Per View” (PPV) vs. Subscriptions – The Challenge facing Academic Libraries

Omesh Jagarnath

The value of the library to the university’s mission and vision as well as its priority in the university’s allocation of funds can no longer be assumed. Libraries are constantly facing challenges, one of the more serious being the budget constraints which in turn may impact negatively on service delivery to the users. The rising costs of resources, especially the electronic formats including e-journals and databases are taking a huge slice of the library budget. This places a heavy strain on libraries and its resources, especially the librarians who have to ensure that the same levels of services are maintained. Time and again, libraries have to continually defend their worth and importance to academics or campus administrators (Spalding & Wang 2006, p. 495). Libraries have to submit convincing proposals or arguments as to why funds requested from the parent body are needed to subscribe to some of the much needed databases. Yet, it is these very academics, and some of the administrators who may require these resources for their own teaching, learning and research needs. There is a common belief that the World Wide Web provides access to all of the world’s accumulated knowledge and that a simple Google search will provide all the relevant information a person may need on a topic (Cheng 2016). What many people don’t know is that valuable peer reviewed information is never freely available and that much of the information they access is in fact paid for by the library. The academic community do not know that it takes a sizeable budget to maintain library facilities; purchase license agreements to collections and to hire staff with specialized skills and expertise to make this content available. Therefore, the question that arises is: How do libraries continue to provide the same level of quality service to patrons despite dwindling budgetary constraints? How can libraries maintain their worth and importance by ensuring users are satisfied? If universities pride themselves on their research and quality teaching and learning, how can libraries ensure that students continue to receive quality research material to pursue their studies? These and many more questions of this nature, poses serious challenges to librarians across the globe. Hence, for these reasons, librarians need to be equipped with various skills in sourcing alternative methods of meeting the growing need for information amongst researchers. In addition, understanding research trends and their role in the research cycle is crucial in connecting users to information (Cheng 2016).

 

(Source: https://www.google.co.za/search?q=payfor+view+journal+articles&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEl__8go3TAhVGLMAKHVIfBWEQ_AUIBygC&biw=1093&bih=474#imgrc=p5U9wb3YSu5sYM:&spf=227)

The University of Kwa-Zulu Natal library has been very proactive in meeting these challenges and seeking alternative ways of serving its patrons. The University for instance had been a loyal subscriber to Science Direct, one of the world’s leading sources for scientific, technical and medical research. However, with the rising yearly cost of the Science Direct database, the library had no option but to terminate its subscription for 2017 which would have cost the institution R15m in subscription for 2017. As much as this was not expected, and amidst an outcry from some academics, perhaps this was a turning point amongst academics in realizing the importance of libraries and the cost of subscription material needed for teaching and research. However, the library did not cancel its subscription to Science Direct without embarking on internal research and viewing user statistics and URLs. As a result it was discovered that there was large overlap with a few of the other key databases that the library subscribed to. The library also assured its patrons (especially Academics) that it will meet their demands by adopting a “Pay Per View” (PPV) service, with a turnaround time of 24 hours. However, with the increased volume of article requests, this turnaround time may exceed 24 hours due to several challenges one may face, especially when incorrect information is provided or lacking in some instances. Hence, this means that the library will purchase the article on behalf of the patron and bear the cost. In addition, there are plans to archive the purchased article within the library’s intranet and make them available as read only to students and staff of UKZN. At the present moment, the Pay Per View service is only open to registered Masters, PHD students and academics of UKZN. Since its inception in February 2016, the PPV service has been well received by academics and masters students. The trend of Pay Per View (PPV) is not a new one. As far back as the 1990s libraries were experimenting with an alternative to traditional forms of inter-library loan. This was in part a response to the rising costs of serial prices and the need to continue with the provision of a quality service to users (Chamberlain & MacAlpine, 2008: 30). In view of the current budget deficits affecting libraries, several issues come to mind. Publishers will either have to rethink their subscription policies and lower their tariffs, or risk losing their customers. Libraries may have to continue monitoring usage statistics of databases and adjust their subscriptions needs accordingly (Troknya 2015). At the same time libraries will continue to seek innovative ways to survive without compromising on service delivery. Hence the questions that arises - How should libraries respond to these challenges? Is it really feasible for libraries to subscribe to a database costing millions just because that was the trend in the past when only a small percentage of the articles are accessed? A review of the Pay Per View option for the past year has cost UKZN libraries well below a million rands. Is this the way forward? What are your thoughts on this?
 Bibliography
1. Cheng, J. 2016, “The top 10 challenges Academic Librarians face in 2016”, web log, viewed 30 March 2017, https://hub.wiley.com/community/exchanges/discover/blog/2016/09/13/the-top-10-challenges-academic-librarians-face-in-2016
2. Troknya, M. 2015, Budget cuts require tough choices, viewed 31 March 2017, http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/12/sophies-choice-with-library-budgets/
3. Hiller, S 2001, Assessing user needs, satisfaction, and library performance at the University of Washington Libraries, Library Trends, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 605-625.
4. Spalding, H. H & Wang, J 2006, The challenges and opportunities of marketing academic libraries in the USA: Experiences of US academic libraries with global application, Library Management, vol. 27, issue 6/7, pp. 494-504. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01435120610702477

To buy or not to buy – the challenges of collection development : some thoughts

by Omesh Jagarnath

Developing collections

Any academic library that aims to satisfy the information needs of its academics and researchers must take great care in the management and development of its collection.

Collection Development aims to provide the right information for the right reader at the right time. The cost of books has escalated in recent years, especially in the sciences, while book budgets have been shrinking year after year. Consequently, schools and colleges have begun to feel the negative impact that this is having upon collection development. After all, university libraries aim to develop collections primarily to support the current and future instructional, research and service programs of the institution.

Some challenges

The collection development process has to be vigilantly monitored and cannot be approached in a haphazard manner. Some crucial questions to ponder are: who decides what to buy and what not to? How often is our collection really up-to-date and in support of the University's goals of teaching and learning? What happens to older editions of books and is there a process to be followed regarding removing these older underutilized titles? Then there is the question of should libraries go completely virtual and re-look at space utilization, or, perhaps invest in off-site storage facilities, a practice that is very popular in many US libraries? These are just some of the areas that upon close examination present challenges to today’s academic libraries and librarians who have to juggle their time between serving the needs of the user and collection maintenance.

Both the quality and quantity of a library’s collection is dependent upon the library’s acquisition programme, including its collection development policies and procedures. Perhaps what is needed is a regular review of our current Collection Development Policy to ensure that is flexible enough to reflect changes and trends in the university's academic programs and the overall outcomes of the institution.

At UKZN Library, collection development is viewed as a joint effort between library and faculty, with the library managing the process. Academic staff are requested to send in recommendations to the subject librarian who in turn processes the requests. In most instances, emphasis is placed upon the development of the "core" collections that support undergraduate requirements. Some schools place great emphasis on the purchasing of multiple copies of a text to be placed on reserve for students to access, while others concentrate on purchasing books in their areas of teaching. Often there is confusion as to the numbers of books allowed per student, yet the guideline states that one copy of a book per 50 students up to a maximum of five copies may be acquired.  It is not the function of the UKZN Library to circumvent the need for a student to own copies of prescribed books. Duplication of prescribed textbooks is not justified and this applies to recommended books as well. The library sometimes ends up purchasing several copies of a text to serve a handful of students, or one book to serve hundreds of students. This is purely due to a lack of communication between the librarian and the academic staff member.

One observation has been that many academics only respond to the librarian’s call to send in their book requests after they are told that their budgets will be cut the following year or it will be utilized by other departments. As a result there is a rush of book order requests by a certain cut-off date resulting in many underutilized titles being ordered.

With regards to the postgraduate experience, perhaps this is where subject librarians play an equally active role in liaising with electronic database vendors in evaluating databases and making recommendations for purchase with the support of academic staff.

And why are we intimidated by ebooks?

Somehow, the purchasing of e-books has been slow at UKZN library.  Possible reasons for this could be either that patron’s prefer a hard copy to an electronic one; or the concept has not been well marketed. Budget constraints and license agreements are other hindering factors. As much as we may be living in a techno savvy environment, how many of us are enthusiastic about reading a book online when it is so easy to grab a book off the shelf? Many US libraries have begun loaning Kindles which are preloaded with selected titles - perhaps once this trend is adopted at UKZN library they will become popular. Currently not many textbooks are available electronically which is another hindering factor as publishers battle to maximize profits.

Some Concluding Remarks

Collection Development should undergo constant review to ensure that our acquisition, weeding and retention policies are unbiased and customer focused so that our library users have access to current, relevant and authoritative information in their preferred format. We should also look at the benefits of shared collections, regular weeding and preservation of rare collections, and current trends in e-book acquisition. No matter what the trend, collection management will continue to be an activity in need of librarian expertise.