On April 11, an email was sent out to students informing them of the change to campus safety uniforms from one that looked similar to law enforcement to an outfit more “refreshed and modern,” according to the contents of the message. Director of Campus Safety, Francis Coots, said this possible change was first brought to his attention before school resumed in August, during regular meetings with the Student Assembly subcommittee and the Residential Life and Safety Committee. While he was not opposed to the idea at the time, he first wanted to consult with peers at other academic institutions.

According to Coots, the reason behind the new style was because “it must be understood that Campus Safety is not a law enforcement agency. We have no police powers and Campus Safety has very few similarities with law enforcement. Wearing a uniform that looks very similar to what a law enforcement agency wears only contributes to the assumptions and confusion.”

The design of the new uniform came out of a desire for it to be both “practical and functional.” However, there was also still a need to make it “easily identifiable in an emergency as well as when we respond to calls for service. Students, faculty and staff look for direction in times of emergency and I wanted to ensure that any confusion was minimized when an officer needs to respond or give direction.”

The individual campus safety officers reacted positively to their uniform update. Coots said of their response that “each officer was very supportive of the change. The new uniforms removed another barrier that may have existed between the students and us. The officers find their responsibilities are much easier to accomplish when the students are assisting us. We enjoy a mutually cooperative relationship and I want the students to know we are a resource that they can rely upon and may call on us when they are in need.”