Maintaining a campus culture that feels safe and welcoming is a huge priority for many institutions. However, there are times when an incident happens that causes students to feel uneasy about walking around or even just being in class. That is why it is important that campuses develop a Threat Assessment Team, also known as a Title IX team, which is put together by the higher education organization to create intervention strategies in the event that something should happen, and to also develop awareness on campus.
Who Should Be on the Team?
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. The law also includes instances of sexual harassment and assault. A Threat Assessment Team is a group made of individuals who handle making decisions when incidents occur and also provide programs that facilitate a supportive and active campus culture.
When making up the list of who should be on your Threat Assessment Team, think about the kinds of departments that might have specialized knowledge that can be utilized. For example, the head of security should be considered because of their expertise on safety. Mental health professionals who understand the emotional stress also need to be on the team. Someone from student affairs who is knowledgeable about conflict resolution would also be helpful. The goal of building the team is to get a diverse group of people together who can help collaborate on ideas and take action when needed.
What Should the Threat Assessment Team Do?
The team should begin by coming up with strategies that will help foster a safe campus and brainstorm ideas on how they can build awareness. The team also needs to develop ways in which they will handle situations that occur. However, they must also realize that all cases will not be the same and must take them on a case-by-case basis.
Creating a Brand
As the Threat Assessment Team starts setting the goals, they need to also start thinking about what type of brand they wish to display around campus. Much like companies that market to consumers, the Title IX team also wants to give off an image that helps improve the campus culture, allowing students to know that they are safe. They need to show that in the event that something should happen, a student’s concern will be taken seriously.
School safety is a serious issue. That is why it is important that a college campus considers making a Threat Assessment Team on their campuses. Schools can do this by choosing competent and diverse stakeholders, then have them set up goals that create a welcoming culture, all in the name of safety.
Learn more about why a threat assessment team is important to your school here: “Understanding the Implications of Title IX in Higher Education”
